


Provisional Custodianship

by Elnierah



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Character Development, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Future, Life Partners, Light Angst, M/M, Personal Growth, Plot, Realistic, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Slice of Life, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2020-04-06 13:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 45,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19064044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elnierah/pseuds/Elnierah
Summary: After the Phantom Thieves were forced to stop their activities, the member had to integrate into a normalised life. Set multiple years after college, adulthood greeted each member differently - from blooming careers to creating their own families.Dating for seventeen years, Yusuke and Akira live together and continue to pursue their passions. One day, they're asked by  Ann and Ryuji to look after their daughter, Emiri, while they go overseas to seize a modelling opportunity. Nervous about the request, the couple agree to help their friends.Each day will greet them with a new challenge as they try their best to look after a child, maintain their relationship, and career all at the same time.[ This fan-fiction is a continuation/connected to my other one -Sheltering Umbrella Cast Asidehowever, you do nothaveto read it. It'll hint towards some future plot points and give additional context, but again, it's not a requirement to read, you can just start with this one. ]





	1. Forgotten Opportunity

**Author's Note:**

> So, this fan-fiction is meant to be much more relaxing for me to work on while I re-write "You Cure The Light", it's also for some of my readers who don't want to re-read the remaster. 
> 
> Due to this being a more laid-back, casual work, both in plot and for me, it could be reflected in my writing style. I tend to overthink and try to edit my fan-fictions to "perfection", which can make the process very draining. I just want this fic to be fun to write, so I won't let myself over-edit it. LOL 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it. :)

After years of college, and maintaining a long-distance relationship, Akira was finally able to return to Tokyo. The first thing he did was rent out an apartment with his partner, Yusuke, and integrate into an independent life. Their careers grew more and more successful as they focused exclusively on moving up in the working world. Due to their achievements, they were able to purchase a house, however, it wasn’t an easy journey. Yusuke’s spending habits were unhealthy as he would either spend too much, buy impractical items, or anything that intrigued him. Akira tried to teach him, tried to brush the habit out of him, and with some convincing, he managed to succeed...somewhat. 

The only way for them to afford a house was to utilise a shared account and finance the rest of their money into savings or personal accounts. All their effort, blood, sweat and tears worked out in the end though. 

In a bright, clean kitchen, Akira used a cutting board to chop up various fruits, then organised them on a black plate. Ann messaged him this morning, asking if she and Ryuji could come over, so he was preparing a platter for them. 

Yusuke was meant to tidy up the living room, but he was too busy peering into the kitchen, watching his partner. The urge to touch him surfaced, so Yusuke stepped inside and moved to wrap his arms around Akira’s waist. 

Startled by the sudden sensation, Akira jumped and let out a noise of surprise. 

“W-What are you doing?” He murmured, placing the knife down. “Don’t creep up on me like that, especially when I’m cutting stuff.” 

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Yusuke hummed and rested his chin on Akira’s shoulder. “I just wanted to hold you, seeing our day off is now ruined.” 

“It’s not ruined. We still have tonight together.”

“Yes, but doesn’t a whole day sound better? We rarely get to spend time together and you have work in the morning.” Yusuke breathed out, burying his face in the crook of Akira’s neck. “I wish you just said ‘no’.”

“I understand your disappointment, but I haven’t seen them in a while. Plus, it’d be pretty rude to just say no when they’re reaching out.” Akira lifted his hand and patted his partner’s hair. “You’ll have me all to yourself tonight, so please don’t pout.” 

“Fine, but you owe me a date.” 

Quiet laughter left Akira’s lips.  
“Okay, I promise we’ll go on a date.”

“Good.”

For some reason, Akira expected his partner to let go, but he didn’t. He still clung onto him, making it difficult to resume cutting the fruit.

“Uh…” His ears and cheeks became hot as he tried to find a way to articulate his request. “Yusuke, you’re really warm, but um...I can’t cut the fruit with you grabbing my waist.”

“Oh? I guess I should move then…” 

Akira’s shirt rustled as Yusuke slid his hands under it, onto his partner’s bare stomach.

“A-Ah, that’s- that’s not what I…-”   
The hue of Akira’s cheeks deepened while his words trailed off into an incoherent mess. 

“Hm, perhaps I’m still in the way, I should move up a bit,” Yusuke teased, then slid his fingers around Akira’s navel and up onto his chest.

Y-You…!”   
The more he teased, the harder it became to talk, or even breath. A trickle of sweat slipped down Akira’s flushed cheeks as he tried to quell his reactions and calm his mind.

“Mm, I suppose I’m still in the way.”

Yusuke tried to raise his hand further, but Akira grabbed it and turned around.

“Okay, okay, okay! Time out!” He cried, breathing heavily. “I-I understand you want to touch me, but now’s not the time, especially with the curtains open!”

“Didn’t you want me to move my hands?”

“Don’t act coy, you know exactly what you were doing!” 

Amused by his partner’s reaction, Yusuke lifted his hand to his mouth and chuckled.   
“You’re right, although I only wanted to play around with you.”

Akira simply touched his forehead and shook his head.  
“Ugh, you’re going to kill me one day…” 

“By teasing you?”

“...Probably.” With an embarrassed look on his face, Akira patted his shirt down. “You wrinkled my clothes. I just ironed them too…” 

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.” Yusuke took a step forward and wrapped an arm around his lover’s shoulders. “I’ll iron your clothes for you to make up for it.”

“No, it’s fine. I need to finish preparing the platter.” Looking up at his partner, Akira couldn’t help but smile. “If you help me, we might have some time to ourselves before they arrive.” 

“Alright, what do you want me to do?”

“Organise the beverages; you can pick whichever you like, but first…” While lifting his heel off the ground, Akira leaned forward and kissed Yusuke on the cheek. “Now you should be able to focus.” He chuckled.

“More like I won’t be able to now.” 

Despite his words, Yusuke approached the fridge, opened it and searched for something to drink. While he did so, Akira resumed chopping up various fruits.

“Is water fine?”   
Yusuke received a look of disbelief.

“No, pick something flavourful.” 

“What about blackberry juice?”

“We’re already eating fruit, but I suppose that’ll do.” 

Yusuke pulled the bottle out of the fridge, only to hear a knock from the front door.

“Oh, crap.” Akira threw the rest of the fruit onto the platter, then slid the cutting board into the sink. “I’ll get the door; you can bring everything into the living room.”   
He was out of the kitchen by the time he finished speaking, leaving Yusuke with only one option - to agree. 

Akira proceeded to greet Ann and Ryuji, escorted them inside, towards the living room table, and exchanged formalities with them. 

“Wow, I forgot how nice your house was.” Ann beamed, scanning the living room’s decor. 

White walls with black frames, polished floorboards and an elevated wooden, charcoal deck laid in front of a large window. Four cushions rested around a dark table, which is where they’d be sitting. There was also a white sofa facing a mounted TV display, but that was more for entertainment than conversations. 

Ann plopped down onto one of the cushions, peered out the window, then exhaled. “If only I lived with a man who had good taste…” 

“Hey, our place is just as good!” Ryuji muttered, then sat near her. “If anything, this place is too black and white.” 

With a platter of fruit and jug of juice, Yusuke walked into the living room and placed them down onto the table. He then murmured, “Are you here to see us, or house hunt?” 

“Sorry! I’ve just been stuck in a car all day, so a new sight is refreshing,” Ann said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “How have you two been, though? It feels like I haven’t seen either of you in ages!” 

“We’ve been alright,” Akira answered as he sat down on a cushion, across from her. “We’ve just been busy with work and stuff.”

“So the usual?” She let out a giggle. “Sounds good, at least you’re keeping yourselves busy.”

Yusuke moved to sit next to his partner, then grabbed a piece of apple.  
“What about you? How have you been?”

Sighing, Ryuji responded with, “Our lives have been uneventful, like yours.” 

Perhaps it was a mere hunch, but Ryuji seemed to be in a bad mood. He looked stiff, as if something was weighing him down. Ann simply nudged him with her elbow and looked down at the platter.

“Wow, did you guys make this for us? You really didn’t have to!”

“I figured it’d be nice to have something to munch on while we talked.” Akira smiled, acting like he didn’t notice their odd behaviour.

“Well, thank you! Everything looks lovely.” As she gave a compliment, Ann picked up a strawberry and popped it into her mouth. 

Yusuke watched them, remained quiet until he blurted out, “So… Excuse me for being direct, but why did you want to meet up?”

“Oh, we just thought we’d pop in and say hi. We actually have to go pick up Emiri from school soon. We had some free time before then though, and realised we haven’t seen you guys for a while, so it just clicked.”

While Akira was somewhat irked by Yusuke’s blunt question, he was happy to have it out of the way.  
“Well then, I’m glad you thought about us,” He said with a grin. “How is Emiri doing? Is she getting along with the other kids at school now, or?”

“As far as we’re aware, yes.” Sheepishly, Ann glanced at her partner. “While Ryuji’s fatherly advice was...appreciated, it wasn’t the best for elementary school kids.”

“I just told her what I’d do in that situation.” Huffed Ryuji. “It’s unfair to be picked on just because she has blonde hair and looks ‘foreign’...”

“I know, but you made the other students fear her.”

“Rightfully so. They got what they deserved.”

“...” Ann just breathed in and flicked her ponytail back. “Anyway, school holidays are coming up, so hopefully the situation can die down.” 

“Sounds like you have your hands full, with two kids and all…” Yusuke glanced at Ryuji as he spoke, and poured himself a glass of juice. 

“Hey! If I’m considered a kid, then so are you!”

“I teach college students sometimes; I highly doubt I’d be able to get that position if I was one.” 

“Don’t start, you two…” Akira mumbled, then nudged Yusuke with his elbow. “Do you have any plans for the holidays?” 

“Nope, not really. What about you?”

“We don’t really have ‘holidays’ anymore.” 

“Huh? I swear officer's had holiday pay in the past.” 

“We do, but I don’t really use them.”

“Why not?”

“Because he doesn’t want to upset his boss.” Yusuke chimed in, exasperation shaping his expression. 

“Jeez, you really want that promotion, huh?”

“I just want to be paid for the extra effort I put in…”

“Oh…” Ann reacted, looking down at her lap. “Does that mean you’re rarely home?” 

“What do you mean?” Yusuke asked for clarification.

“Um, I mean like...no one’s home to house sit, right?”

“Well, I try to work whenever Akira does so we can align our days off; however, I paint in my studio here, so I’m usually home.” 

“Ah, I see…” 

It appeared as though Ann was disappointed, upset at the news. She glanced at Ryuji, who looked at her in return, and they both shifted awkwardly, like they were uncertain about something. 

“Is...something the matter?” Akira expressed his concern.

“Ah, n-nothing is!” Ann perked up, a nervous smile on her lips. “It just sounds like you’re really busy.”

“Ann,” Ryuji said softly.

She looked at him again, only for her shoulders to tense up.

“Yes…?”

“Remember what you said in the car?”

“...Mm.” 

“Go on then.”

Yusuke and Akira looked at each other, confused by their behaviour. Instead of allowing the atmosphere to dwindle further, Akira spoke up, “Is something wrong?”

“Um, well, the truth is…” Ann went silent until she mustered up the courage and lowered her head in a slight bow. “W-We wanted to ask you guys for a huge favour…”

“We won’t be able to answer unless you tell us.” Yusuke tried to assure her, then smiled. 

Ann looked at Ryuji one last time before taking a deep breath and committing to it.   
“...We’d like to ask if you’re able to look after Emiri for us.”

“Um…”

The request only confused them more and caused various questions to fill their minds. 

“What do you mean? Is something the matter with her?” Akira pushed the subject, feeling as though they lacked too much information to even offer an answer. 

“No, it’s nothing like that, it’s just…”

“Ann has a gig, a modelling gig overseas,” Ryuji continued for her and slid his hand onto hers. “It’s a huge opportunity for her to be recognised internationally. She had to put her career on hold for our daughter’s sake, but now that she's older, Ann would- we’d like to seize any chance we can to fulfil her goals again.” 

“Um, sorry, I’m a little confused…” Akira uttered while he touched his chin. “Can’t you look after her, Ryuji?”

“I could, I mean, I love the little ball of joy, but Ann would feel safer if I went with her. We organised my mother to babysit Emiri while we were gone, but she recently fell ill, so we don’t want to bother her. You’re sorta our...last hope.”

“You’re allowed to decline, especially since this is so sudden,” Ann assured, although it’s clear she was hoping they would agree. “Unfortunately, even if we wanted to take Emiri, we can’t. We ran into problems with her visa so she’s forced to stay in Japan. I would cancel the whole thing, but Ryuji wants me to pursue my passion again, which I agree is important.”

Taping his finger against his arm, Yusuke listened carefully until a question popped into his mind.   
“How long will it be for?”

“Well...we’re scheduled to leave in a week and the trip will be about a month and a half.” 

Surprised, Akira almost choked on a piece of fruit.   
“T-That is sudden…”

“We know, and we’re sorry we didn’t ask sooner. It took us a while to figure out our options.” 

With a sheepish grin, Ryuji ruffled his own hair. “Don’t sweat it if you can’t do it, we just trust you guys with our daughter, you’re practically her uncles.” 

“If you can’t do it, I’ll just go alone and Ryuji will look after Emiri, so don’t feel pressured or anything as we still have that option. I’d like him to come, especially since his emotional support would be nice, but again, it’s not necessary.” 

Their trust-filled gazes gleamed with hope, like they now expected an answer.   
Yusuke and Akira stared at each other, trying to navigate and figure out how to proceed. It was a lot to consider, especially since their work schedule consumed most of their time. They hadn’t even discussed whether or not they wanted their own children, so looking after their friends' would be an experience they never really thought about.

“We’ll do it.” With a blank expression, Yusuke answered, “If we had a child or needed a cat-sitter, I’m certain you’d be the first to offer your aid, therefore, I’ll lend you mine.” 

“H-Huh?!” Akira expressed his bewilderment, his eyes widening as he almost choked on his surprise. “You- You can’t just agree without me!”

“Hm? Are you saying you don’t want to?” 

“No, that’s not…” Akira glanced at Ann, only to sigh heavily and rub the bridge of his nose. “I just have a lot of concerns. Like whether or not we can fit her into our schedule and stuff…”

“Well, I’m home for the most part, so it shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.” 

“Sure, but-...”   
Akira cut himself off, realising this discussion could wait. It didn’t involve Ann or Ryuji, so instead of subjecting them to it, he turned his attention back to them.  
“How...well behaved is Emiri? I know she’s good around us, but I’m sure living with her would be different.”

“She’s only nine, so she still has tantrums, but mostly, she’s great.” Ryuji tried to assure them, “I reckon she’ll behave more in your home, seeing you’re fresher faces.” 

“What about her capabilities to do things on her own? Oh, and schooling, what would we do about that?”

“School holidays are starting soon, so you won’t have to bother with that, but Ann usually likes her to be tutored during those times.” 

Picking up an orange slice, Ann continued for her partner, “Emiri can do most things by herself. The only activity she struggles with sometimes is brushing her hair, although that’s because it’s long.” 

“Okay, uh, what about…” Akira’s lip trembled while he contemplated, tried to figure out a way to articulate his next question. He breathed in, his cheeks slightly flushed, and asked, “What about her...growth?” As soon as the words came out, his hands defensively waved. “I-I know it’s not really my business, but if she’s going to stay with us for a month, we’re going to have to know what to...expect and ensure a supportive environment.” 

Confused, Ann tilted her head.  
“You mean puberty?” 

“Eh, yes…”

Stifling a laugh, Ann couldn’t help but grin. “You don’t have to be all awkward about it, I know it’s relevant. Emiri hasn’t started puberty yet though, so you don’t have to worry about that stuff.” 

Akira placed a hand over his chest and exhaled out of relief.   
“Sorry, I just thought it could be seen as a little...invasive.”

“No, it’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

“Um, due to our careers, it’s possible that she might have to be left unsupervised. Do you think she’s still too young for that?”

“We’d prefer she always be supervised, but we also understand this is sudden for you.” Reaching into her pocket, Ann pulled out a card and placed it onto the table. “This is her tutor’s number. I’ll call her and explain the situation beforehand, but if you need someone to look after her for a few hours, you can get her to come here. I’ll probably get her to also come over on specific days, if you don’t mind.” 

“I don’t as long as she informs us before she arrives.”

“Sure, she always gives us a heads up, so you won’t have to worry about her showing up suddenly.”

Their conversation continued to clarify, discuss and organise Emiri’s stay until Ryuji and Ann had to go pick her up from school. They were extremely thankful on the way out, singing praise about how reliable they are. While it was nice to ensure their relief, Akira still had doubts about how well they would do. They’ve never encountered a request as large as this, so a natural fear about their success was inevitable.

~~~~~~~~~

Most of the fruit was devoured over the course of their chat. Akira placed the leftovers into the fridge, washed their glasses, then went back into the living room and plopped down onto the sofa. Even though he didn’t do much today, he felt exhausted, like his concerns waned him down. 

“Hey, Yusuke…” He mumbled, turning to face his partner.  
Yusuke sat near him, so he simply looked to the left.

“Mm?”

“Why were you so eager to agree? I mean, I understand wanting to help them, but it’s-...I dunno, a little weird to see you agree without thinking it over.”

“Is it? I just put myself in their position and the answer became clear.” Yusuke closed his book, set it on his lap, and focused on his partner. “However, I feel as though our life has become repetitive and wanted to spice it up a bit.” 

Akira couldn’t help but chuckle. “You do realise when people feel that way, they usually go on a holiday, not agree to look after someone else’s kid.” 

“Yes, but I have a grand exhibition to prepare for, and I doubt that even if I asked we’d be able to go because of your job.” 

With a concerned look on his face, Akira leaned closer to his partner and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “While my work is important, I don’t want to neglect you for it. You’re my priority, so please don’t feel as though you can’t ask me for things.”

“It’s not that I feel like I can’t, it’s more...we have so much to do that asking would just be another burden to add.” 

“Your desires aren’t a burden, Yusuke.”   
Lifting his hand, Akira touched his lover’s cheek, then caressed it.   
“If you want to go on a holiday, then we will, even if we have to wait. It’s okay to organise things for the future.” 

Yusuke’s lips curled, forming a smile. “Maybe we can after all this; however, I’m sure Emiri will change our lives quite a lot. We might not even need a holiday to enliven ourselves.”

“Oh, we’ll need one, just for a different reason.” A noise, akin to laughter escaped Akira as he shuffled to hug his partner. “I’ll see if I can get more time off work. I don’t think I’ll be able to for this upcoming week, so, unfortunately, you’ll have to primarily look after Emiri for the first week.” 

“That’s fine, I agreed to it first.” Yusuke returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around Akira’s waist. “I’ll just let the college know I won’t be available until you work out the schedule.”

“Wouldn’t that annoy your students?”

“Well, I’m not exactly their teacher. I’m only allowed to teach because of my...reputation, but I’m still a guest educator.” 

“Oh, right, I forgot, you’re famous.”   
Akira let out a giggle. He then smirked, and his hands slide down onto Yusuke’s chest. 

“I’m not famous. I’m just well-known in the art community, nothing more.” 

“That’s just another way of saying famous.” 

“It really isn’t…” Feeling as though his partner was too close, Yusuke glanced away, his cheeks heating up with a light red hue. “Anyway, I think it would be a good idea for us to go shopping. The spare room is rather plain, so we should decorate it for Emiri, make her feel welcomed.” 

As Akira listened, he sat up properly and straighten his posture.   
“That sounds like a good idea, but we don’t really know what she likes. I’m sure Ann will pack her things as well.”

“We can surprise her. I don’t think it’s possible to purchase something she’ll despise.”

“You’ll be the one getting a surprise if you think that. Kids can be extremely picky, even with gifts.” 

“So…” Confused by his partner’s stance, Yusuke began to play with a strand of his own hair. “Do you want to ask Ann or Ryuji about what she likes?”

“No, not really. I’m sure they’re busy at the moment and it’s not like we can go shopping now.” To confirm, Akira glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. “It’s too late now. I don’t have work on Sunday, so we can go then.” 

“So we have a plan?”

“Mm.”  
Akira nodded. 

“Great, I’ll look forward to it.”

Huffing out of amusement, Akira tilted his head.   
“Why? It’s just shopping.”

“Well...we haven’t gone together for quite some time, besides grocery shopping.” 

“True.” Rising to his feet, Akira stretched his body out. “Anyway, I should begin preparing dinner.”

Yusuke stood up too and reached for his partner’s hand.  
“I’ll help you.”

Looking back at his lover, Akira grinned and hummed, “Okay.”

~~~~~~~~~

The upcoming days zoomed on by, passed so quickly like grains of sand falling through fingers. It wasn’t unusual for time to flow at a fast pace, but Emiri’s eventual visit seemed to make it accelerate. 

The sun gleamed down, high in the sky as the dry winds of summer swept and swayed. As usual, Shibuya’s streets were busy, packed with activities and consumed by chatter. Luckily, the couple didn’t have to deal with the overcrowded pathways for long as their destination wasn’t too far.

Standing in a noisy, air-conditioned toy store, Yusuke analysed and compared two soft toys. In his left hand, he held a plump penguin and a chubby panda in his right. 

“Which one do you think Emiri would like?” He asked, looking up at his partner, who was standing by him with his arms crossed. 

“I’m not sure, she’d probably like both.” 

“You said we couldn’t buy both though…”

“It’ll exceed our budget as we still have to buy her some books. You’re free to use your own funds for it if you truly want them, but otherwise, no, we can’t get both.” 

“Hm,” Conflict scrunched up Yusuke’s face as his eyes dart between the two soft toys. He then pouted and shoved the plushies into Akira’s face. “How can you be okay with abandoning one?” 

“They’re just soft toys, you can’t abandon them.” Akira turned his face away, scratching his cheek. “Plus, someone else will buy them, I’m sure of it.” 

Yusuke’s frown only intensified.

Unable to resist, Akira sighed and yielded to his partner’s demands.  
“Fine, you can buy both. Just don’t pick out expensive books…” 

A wide smile curled Yusuke’s lips while he placed the toys into their basket.  
“Great, I’m sure she’ll be more interested in these than books anyway.”

Akira couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, blush, as he followed his partner and carried the basket to another section of the shop. It wasn’t uncommon for him to give into Yusuke’s requests, especially when he pouted and looked at him like a disappointed child. 

“I can tell you and Emiri will get along just fine…” He murmured under his breath, but just loud enough for his partner to hear, “You’re like a kid sometimes…”

“Well, I’d like to get along with her. Although, I disagree with the second part. I just know that if I act like that, I’ll get my way.” Yusuke mumbled out a reply, smirking as he turned into the book aisle.

“What was that…?”  
While Akira heard clearly, he wanted him to repeat it.

“Oh, nothing.” 

“...” Akira simply huffed and changed the subject, “Could you hurry and grab some colouring books? We’ve been here for a couple of hours and I’m starting to get hungry…”

“I apologise, I didn’t think it’d take this long.”   
Yusuke ran his finger along the spine of various books, pulled them out, inspected them, then shoved them back in until he found something he liked.   
“I thought it wouldn’t be busy on a Sunday, but I suppose that was wrong to assume.” 

“I don’t think it being busy is a factor here. You keep wanting more and more things.” As Akira spoke, he stepped closer and grabbed his lover by the arm. “We can always come back here and get more things. That way, we can bring her with us and she can pick out what she wants instead of us guessing.” 

Slowly, Yusuke set the books down into their basket.   
“I….didn’t consider that, actually…” 

“Exactly, so let’s go eat now. It’s only going to get busier and we have everything we need already. We also have to set up the spare room when we get home.” 

Yusuke agreed with a nod, then began to walk towards the checkout with his partner. Kids and their parents roamed around the store, making it a bit difficult to navigate. Their voices also drowned out the music, so the couple didn’t even bother to talk, knowing they wouldn’t be able to hear each other over it. 

It was only a matter of time until all the items they purchased were placed into bags. After a quick discussion about who would hold what, they left the store. The wind caused their clothes, their hair to sway as they walked along a footpath, heading towards a nearby cafe. 

Something began to surface, to form in Akira’s mind as he noticed seasonal posters, events listings and signs. He was confused at first, unable to decipher what it was until a realisation dawn on him and churned his stomach.

“Uh, Yusuke...it’s July, right?”

“Mm, why?”

Akira didn’t reply, he merely pulled his phone out of his pocket and stared at the screen. His actions confused Yusuke, caused him to raise an eyebrow until pieces began to click together.

“My...parents are supposed to be coming here…”

Growing more bewildered, Yusuke muttered, “H-Huh? What do you mean?”

“They organised to come stay with us at the end of July, remember?” 

“Um, sort of…”

Even though he was trying to hide it, stress defined Akira’s expression, his movements and voice. Sweat slipped down his cheek as he gulped, as he tried to calm down by rubbing his neck. 

“Emiri will still be with us when they visit…” A breathless sigh escaped his lips while he fidgeted with the ends of his hair. “She’s going to be using the spare room, so they can’t stay in there, and well…- I don’t think her presence would be a good idea with them there…”

“Well, we can get them a hotel room, right? They could even prefer that. The spare room isn’t big enough for two adults, after all.” 

“You already know how sensitive my parents are, there’s a chance they could find that proposal insulting…” Akira murmured while his shoulders tensed up and his breathing grew more restrained. “The whole point of the trip was for them to see how we live and to spend time together…”

“You...could be overthinking this. I know your parents aren’t...easy, but they could end up liking Emiri and even enjoy the private nature of a hotel room.”

“I’m less worried about them liking her and more...concerned about giving them false hope.”

“Hm? I...don’t quite understand what you mean.”

The sound of their footsteps filled a brief silence. Akira went quiet like he was thinking, trying to find a way to articulate himself clearly. He pressed his lips together, conflicted, as the quiet, dead nature of their conversation became overwhelming.

“My parents have always wanted...grandkids. If they see us with a child, it could reignite their desire for one…”

“...”   
Yusuke didn’t know how to respond. He recalled Akira talking about this years ago as it was one of the reasons why his parents struggled to accept their relationship in the past. Fortunately, Yusuke never had to face pressure over the subject, but that also meant he couldn’t assure his partner with experience, from a relatable and connected angle. He still tried to think of, to find worthy advice, but only weak suggestions came to mind.

“...We could ask Makoto or Haru to look after her when they come here. Your parents won’t be staying long, right? So it shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.” 

“No, I don’t want to put Emiri through that…” Like he wanted to avoid the subject, Akira gave a feeble smile. “I don’t want to make her adjust to another home, so I’ll...figure something out. You needn’t stress over this too, it’s my problem, so I’ll sort it out, okay?”

“We’re a team, Akira, we’re meant to tackle problems together.”

“Sure, but...this is less of a problem and more of an inevitable headache.” 

“That’s just another way of phrasing it.”

“Maybe it is; however, I have about a month to figure something out. I don’t want to worry about their eventual visit when Emiri’s is much closer.” 

“Alright...I’ll leave it for now, but if you come up with a plan, you’ll tell me, right?”

“Of course, I promise.”

They smiled at each other, somewhat content, before arriving at the cafe. Stepping inside, Akira grabbed his lover by the arm and guided him towards a table by a window. Pop-music and chatter filled the store as they sat down, got comfortable, and placed their shopping bags under the table. 

The dilemma surrounding Akira’s parents escaped their minds as they ordered food, drinks and absorbed the natural atmosphere of the cafe.

“So, how’s the grand exhibition coming along?” Akira asked as he stirred a cup of coffee.

“Uh, well...my central project is almost done, about halfway, and the second batch of tickets will go up for sale soon.”

“Are you excited? It sounds like you’ve made a lot of progress.” Pressing his elbow against the table, Akira gave a grin. “I know you’ve worked really hard for this, so I’m sorry if I come across as nosy. I’m just overjoyed your dreams are finally forming.” 

“Of course I’m excited, but there’s no need for an apology. I’m honestly glad you’re looking forward to it.” Yusuke relaxed his posture, crossed his legs while he reached for his cup of tea. “It makes me happy to have someone who genuinely supports me and my work. So please, don’t apologise for expressing your interest.”

“I just...know you want me to wait for the reveal like everyone else, so I’m not exactly sure on whether or not I should even be asking these questions.”

“Ask me anything you like. If I feel as though you’re trying to pry the themes of my paintings, I simply won’t answer you.”

“Wow, rude.” Akira jokingly pouted, then a noise of amusement left his lips. “I’m actually...pretty nervous about going myself. I mean, I’m sure I’ll love every moment of it, but I’m concerned about what the media will say…” 

“Hm?” Touching his chin, Yusuke tilted his head. “I don’t understand what you’re suggesting.”

“Uh, well…” Akira began to fidget with his bangs, only to stop and drink some of his coffee. “N-Nevermind, I guess I’m just saying weird things because I’m excited. It’s normal to be a little nervous, right?”

“Of course, even I’m nervous.”   
While Yusuke was concerned about the nature of Akira’s rambles, he didn’t think pushing it would be a good idea or yield an answer here.

“You are? Could I ask why?”

“Well, inevitable self-doubt looms over me. I’m up to my last painting, but I’m constantly questioning whether or not it’s good.” Placing his tea down, Yusuke adjusted his shirt cuffs. “While I think it’s a natural part of the creative world, it can really wane me down sometimes.”

“Oh… Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, it’s normal, at least, for me it is.”

“Your art is always amazing, I’m certain everything you’ve created is just as good, if not better.” While he tried to assure his partner, Akira beamed. “However, if you really need help through it, I could have a look and maybe give you feedback.”

“Now you’re just trying to pry.” Yusuke couldn’t help but chuckle, amused by his lover’s antics. “I’ll be fine, Akira. I’ve gone through this phase a million times and I always win.”

“Oh, come on! I’m basically dating a celebrity and I don’t even get exclusive sneak peeks!” 

“If I was a celebrity, we wouldn’t be sitting in a public place, undisturbed.” Smirking, Yusuke picked up his tea again and pressed it against his lips. “Also, while I’m glad you’re revealing our status publicly in a loud manner, I’m sure you’ll regret it if one of your co-workers is here or someone recognises you.” 

“If you’re not a celebrity, then it reveals nothing.” Akira murmured, pouting as he supported his chin with his palm. “But...you’re right, I should shut up before I get my ass fired…”

“Anyway, you’ll get to see my paintings when everyone else does. I know it sounds arrogant, but I don’t need feedback.”

A smug smirk flickered across Akira’s expression while an idea danced in his mind.  
“How do you know I haven’t already peeked?”

“Because I trust you’ll respect my wishes.”

Akira reacted by clasping his chest.  
“Oof, going straight for the heart, aren’t you?”

“I’m just being honest.”

“Hnn... I haven’t peeked, so you don’t have to worry. Although I won’t lie, it’s extremely tempting to look when I tidy your studio.” 

“It’s a month from now, so you won’t have to be patient for much longer.”

“Huh? Wait a minute…” Akira’s words trail off as he held his chin, thinking. “Doesn’t that mean Emiri’s stay will clash with it?”

Like he hadn’t even considered it, Yusuke pulled his phone out and looked at the calendar.  
“Uh, yeah...it will. It’s near the end of her stay though.”

“Will she be able to come with us? There’ll be alcohol, right? And it’s not exactly a quiet environment.”

“I didn’t want there to be, but yes, alcohol will be present.”

Releasing a sigh, Akira ran a hand through his hair.  
“Ugh, this is why we should think things over before we agree…”

“While I understand where you’re coming from, it’s not that big of a problem. We’ll just keep an eye on her.”

“Can’t we get the tutor to babysit her?”

“Not exactly, the event is at night. I doubt she’ll be available.”

“Makoto and Haru are coming, aren’t they? So they aren’t an option…”

“Yes, and Futaba. We’ll just bring Emiri, she’s young, but I don’t think it’s necessarily a dangerous environment for her.” 

Like he found the perfect solution, Akira’s eyes lit up.  
“Oh! What about Sojiro? He’s experienced with kids and has...quite a lot of free time.”

“Isn’t that a little, I don’t know, impolite? He’s retired and I doubt he wants to look after any more children.”

“It’s only for a couple of hours, but yeah...bothering him probably isn’t a good idea.”

“You needn’t stress, we’ll just bring her with us. It shouldn’t be too hard to watch her, especially since I’m certain Makoto, Haru and Futaba will help.”

“Alright, I’ll trust your judgement.” Reaching for his coffee, Akira pressed the cup against his lips and took a sip. “Are you going to be able to reach your deadline? Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the first week off, so you’re going to have to look after Emiri on your own for a bit.” 

“I’ve reached tighter deadlines before, and while I won’t ignore her, I’m sure I can work when she’s occupied.” 

“I’ll look after her when I get home so you should still be able to progress. Although, as you’re already aware, the time I get home varies all the time…”

“I can stay up late if I feel as though I’m falling behind, but I doubt it. You should be able to help more later on though, right?”

“Yeah, I managed to get every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off, so you should be able to work on your art or teach on those days.”

“Are you sure-”  
Yusuke’s words trail off as the sound of a familiar ringtone reached his ears. He watched Akira pull out his phone, stare at the screen for a moment, then excuse himself and head for the cafe’s exit. 

A sigh escaped Yusuke’s mouth while he waited for his partner to return. He had an idea as to what the phone call was about, who it was from, but he couldn’t exactly do anything about it. A waiter brought their food, set it down on the table with a smile, and left before Akira finally returned. 

“Is something the matter?” Yusuke almost immediately asked, watching his partner sit back down. 

“Oh, no, nothing’s wrong. It was just work.” While Akira wanted to assure his lover, he was starving. He picked up a spoon, then began to cut his omelette. “They couldn’t find a folder I used, so I had to tell them where it was.” 

“I see...” Yusuke glanced out the window, unwrapping his cutlery. “Was it in an obvious location?” 

“Well, I put it back where it usually goes…”

“So they’re just hopeless without you…?” 

“I guess.” Munching on a mouthful of rice, Akira wiped his face with a napkin. “It was a new recruit who called. I didn’t exactly want to be rude and ignore them.”

“I understand. How did your boss react to you asking for time off?”

“Ah, he seemed annoyed at first, but after I explained it was for a child, he was more understanding.”

“I suppose it’s good he at least has a quarter of a heart then…”

Amused air escaped Akira’s lips as he almost choked on his food.  
“H-He’s not that bad, Yusuke.”

“I respectfully disagree. He shouldn’t expect you to explain yourself every time you ask for something.”

“He was annoyed because school holidays are soon. Petty crimes or drunken brawls become more common around these times, so I understand where he’s coming from.” 

“It’s beside the point, you’re not the only competent officer in your department.” 

“Sure, but it’s nice to feel appreciated, even if it’s not expressed in a direct manner.”

“...I’m sure it is, but if it doesn’t amount to anything, like a promotion, then it’s hard to believe your passion isn’t being taken advantage of.”

“I see where you’re coming from, but we’ve had this discussion many times.” Grabbing his mug, Akira chugged the rest of his coffee. “Anyway, can we just enjoy the rest of our day off? We rarely get time to relax, so it seems weird to discuss work during it.” 

“You’re right, I’m sorry.”  
Yusuke bowed his head slightly, then began eating his own meal.

“You don’t have to apologise, I know you’re concerned and I appreciate it.” Akira tried to assure his partner with a bright, wide smile. “Anyway…”

The two enjoyed the rest of their meals together and tried to maintain a light-hearted atmosphere. It was sometimes difficult to not focus on work, especially since how much time it consumed, and while some discussions of it were nice, it got exhausting to talk about. Luckily, both of them understood that, so it wasn’t hard to move on once disinterest was expressed.

~~~~~~~~~

After a day out of enjoying the scenery and sun, the couple went home to prepare Emiri’s room. Yusuke designed the rest of their house, so he did most of the work, but Akira helped by washing and drying all of the fabrics. 

“Hm, what do you think?” Yusuke asked while he framed his fingers together and scanned the room, trying to absorb the new decor. 

Akira cupped his chin, thinking of a way to answer until he settled with his initial reaction.  
“It looks like a kid’s room.” 

“Isn’t that the point?”

“Well, yeah...”

Their spare room had transformed into a child’s bedroom. Animal decorations and themed bed sheets, soft toys, fluffy pillows and a desk with a mini bookshelf gave the room a clear purpose. The atmosphere was entirely different from before, perhaps even too different. It was hard to recognise, to believe this was merely a temporary change due to all the effort that was put into stylising the room. 

“...While it was already confirmed, this really cements the fact we’ll be looking after a child, doesn’t it?” Akira pondered aloud, looking up at his partner.

Yusuke gave a nod, then a smile curled his lips. “Mm, I believe we did a great job. The room is more inviting and lively than before.” 

Staying quiet for a moment, Akira shuffled and leaned his head on Yusuke’s arm.  
“Do you really think we’re ready for this…?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Maybe I’m just nervous, but I feel like we’re going to be...crap temporary guardians…”

With a look of concern, Yusuke wrapped his arm around Akira’s shoulders.  
“Why would you think that…?”

“I dunno… We just have no experience with kids, and our jobs get in the way of us spending time together, so how can we make room for Emiri?” The sound of a sigh escaped Akira as he clung onto his partner’s arm. “I remember Ann telling me about how her parents would go overseas, and she’d try her best to not appear lonely… I fear Emiri might already feel neglected, abandoned, and I want to do my best to alleviate that, but I’m not sure on how when our lives are already busy…” 

“We organised it so Emiri will never be home without one of us, so while I understand your feelings, I believe we’ve done our best already. Given how sudden this whole thing was, I actually think we did a fantastic job.” Trying to cheer and assure his lover, Yusuke tapped him on the nose. “You’re nervous, and that’s okay, so am I. You’re right we have no experience with kids; however, you were an amazing brother figure to both Futaba and Shinya. This can’t be much different from that, can it?”

Akira stifled a giggle as he touched his nose.  
“I suppose it won’t be. I’m probably focusing on the negatives because I’m anxious, but a lot of good things could come out of this, right?”

“Of course! Like, uh...growing closer to Emiri! She can also entertain Morgana so we don’t have to fulfil his play-drive anymore.” 

“I’m sure there are better things than having a cat-sitter.” While he grinned, Akira could help but chuckle. “You have a way of making things sound exciting though, so I’ll give you that.” 

“Good. Nervous-excitement is better than dreading it.” Responding to his partner’s infectious smile, Yusuke caressed his cheek. “I know I say it a lot, but you’ve barely aged. You look as adorable-”

Akira pressed a finger against Yusuke’s lips, interrupting him.  
“Morgana’s on our bed and I have work tomorrow, so if you keep sweet talking me, I won’t be able to sleep.” 

“How does that work…?”

“It doesn’t.” With a smirk, Akira grabbed his partner’s hand and guided him out of the room. “However, I do know we need to sleep. I’m exhausted from all that shopping, and Morgana doesn’t like it when we walk around at night.”

“Since when do owners listen to the demands of their pets?” 

“All the time.” 

“I...suppose that’s true.” Yusuke tried to resist a yawn, only to lose and exhale loudly. “I’ll let Morgana win today, but only because I’m tired too…”

“I’d be concerned if you weren’t, to be honest. We have a busy week ahead of us, so we should get as much rest as possible.”

Yusuke agreed by nodding his head, and followed his partner upstairs, towards their bedroom. While they prepared as much as possible for Emiri’s stay, an inevitable fear remained. Once she arrives, there’s a chance all their anxiety would vanish, would fade into joy, but that was a matter of time. All they could do was try their best, to ensure she felt welcome and create a loving, home environment.


	2. First Night

The constant, deafening sound of an alarm filled their bedroom. Akira’s arm slid out from under the blankets and his fingers tap against the bedside table until he found his vibrating phone. Swiping his thumb across the screen, he groaned, satisfied the noise ceased. He then pressed his hand onto the mattress and pushed his body up, the sheets slipping down his shoulder. He heard a moan from behind, so he turned his head, only to be blinded by the sunlight shining through the curtains. 

“...Did I wake you?” He mumbled, squinting as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. 

“No…” Yusuke breathed out a reply, pressing his cheek against the pillow. “I woke up a bit ago.”

“Well, at least you can go back to sleep.” Akira let out a chuckle, only to be interrupted by a yawn. 

“I’m trying too…” 

“Mm.” Akira moaned while he laid back down, shuffling closer to his partner. He then kissed Yusuke on the forehead. “I should be home before Emiri arrives, but if you get the chance, could you clean up the house a bit?”

“The house is already spotless. What is there to clean?” Confused, Yusuke’s eyebrows curled as he shifted to wrap his arms around Akira.

“Well, the backyard. It’s basically Morgana’s litter, but Emiri might be interested in playing out there, without all the crap, obviously…”

“Really? Morgana’s toiletry habits are going to be the first subject of our conversations today…?” 

“Hey, you asked.” Akira huffed, amused by his partner’s reaction. “I should go get ready. The traffic will only get worse the longer I delay.”

“...Can’t you stay a little longer?” Yusuke buried his face into Akira’s chest, giving him a light squeeze. “We won’t have any more privacy once she arrives.”

“Don’t you want breakfast…? I won’t be able to prepare your food and get ready for work if I stay.” 

“I prefer you over breakfast. Plus, I can always make my own.”

“Er-...” Sliding his hand into Yusuke’s hair, Akira’s face twisted with concern. “J-Just don’t blow up the kitchen, okay?”

Pouting, Yusuke peered up at his lover. “You act like I’m incapable of cooking… I’ve never blown the kitchen up, not even once.”

“You spilled paprika everywhere and it took months for it to clear up.” 

“Okay, yes, that was bad, but the kitchen still didn’t blow up.” 

“You also broke the oven because you overfilled the dish, then it expanded and spilled everywhere.” 

“M-Mm, well, yes...that was poor of me too, but there still wasn’t an explosion.” 

Akira just let out a laugh. “I’m sure there will be one if I let you cook unsupervised any more.” 

“Hnn…” Frowning, Yusuke released a sigh of disappointment. “Maybe you should just go to work if you’re going to tease me.” 

“Aww, don’t be like that,” Akira smirked and kissed his partner on the cheek. “I love you and all your cute little flaws too.” 

Heat gathered in Yusuke’s cheeks, coloured his pale skin.  
“...You’re a mophead.” 

“H-Huh?”

“Your bed hair makes you look like a mop.”

Involuntarily, Akira touched his hair, feeling its dishevelled state. “Now you’re going to tease me?” He couldn’t help but chuckle, entertained. “You’re just being a bully now.” 

“That makes us even.” Yusuke lifted his hand onto Akira’s cheek, caressing it gently with his fingertips. “You’re beautiful, even when you first awake…”

“Now you’re complimenting me?” 

“M-Mm, I can’t fake anger towards you for long.”  
The shade of Yusuke’s cheeks darkened, became redder. 

“Neither can I…”  
Leaning forward, Akira brushed his lips against Yusuke’s, sliding his fingertips behind his ear. Yusuke responded, closing his eyes as he allowed himself to drift away, to get lost in the touch of his lover for what seemed to be the millionth time. 

They soon depart, smiling at each other.

“I should go have a shower now,” Akira whispered, his fingers stroking Yusuke’s hair.

“Mm, alright.” Tilting forward, Yusuke kissed his partner on the cheek. “Drive safely.”

“I will, promise.” Akira then slid away, sat up and tapped Yusuke on the nose. “You have a good sleep. You’re probably going to need it.” He giggled, recalling all the sleepless nights Ann complained about. 

“I’ll try.”

Pulling the blankets off, Akira lowered his feet onto the carpet and stood up, only to turn around and fix the sheets. He then waved.  
“I’ll see you later.” 

“See you, and be safe.”

Akira grinned to assure his partner, then approached the ensuite and disappeared inside.

~~~~~~~~~

After cleaning up the backyard like requested, Yusuke settled down in his studio. He was preparing paintings for his exhibition, and while most were complete, he still hadn’t finished his central piece. The canvas was larger than the rest, wider than what he was used to, so errors were bound to happen, leading to frustration. 

He wasn’t able to focus, to dedicate his mind solely to his work. Emiri’s eventual arrival kept pulling his attention away and amplified his heartbeat. He was able to swallow his anxiety before, but now that she was merely hours away, his nervous state escalated.

Placing his dirty brush down onto the easel, he sighed. Forcing his artwork to materialise would only make him hate it, would cause even more mistakes, so taking a break or occupying his mind with something else seemed ideal. 

He slid off his stool and covered the canvas with a cloth, only to feel his pocket vibrate. Pulling his phone out, he saw Akira’s name flash on the screen and a photo they took while attending a festival. Swiping his thumb across the display, he turned the volume up and answered the call.

“Hello?” 

“Oh, hey, it’s me.” For a moment, Akira paused. “I...have some bad news.”

Yusuke could hear the sound of an engine, of a car humming from the other side.

Dread shaped his expression as a thousand possibilities raced through his mind, waned and worsened his worry.  
“What’s...wrong? Is it an emergency…?!”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that…! Although, I suppose you can say there’s been an emergency at work. We got a call about a theft leading to an assault and the chief wants us to intercept the suspect. However, that...includes me. They’ve requested I stay back and help, so I don’t think I’ll be home in time for Emiri’s arrival.”

Somewhat assured, Yusuke peered up at the clock on the wall.  
“She’ll be here in twenty minutes…”

“Yeah, and I’m still driving to the suspected location. Depending on what happens, I might be home in an hour or so.” 

“...You’re not holding the phone while driving, are you?”

“No, it’s on the mobile dash mount and you’re on speaker. No one is with me though, so it’s fine.”

“Alright, well, thanks for the heads up. I’ll let Emiri know.”

“Could you also send my regards to Ann and Ryuji? I wanted to personally say goodbye, but unfortunately, I don’t think that’ll happen now…”

“Sure, don’t worry about it. You should just focus on remaining safe.”

“Thanks. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there, and unfortunately, I have to go now...”

“Akira, don’t stress, it’s fine.” Approaching the studio door, Yusuke placed his hand on the handle. “I’ll see you later tonight then.”

“Mm, see you.”

The call disconnected, resounding a beep. Yusuke lowered his phone and shoved it back into his pocket, only to leave and advance towards the living room. He suspected something like this may happen as it was rather common for Akira to stay behind, and while he would like his partner to be here, he didn’t blame him or believe he did anything wrong. 

Proven by their time as Phantom Thieves, Akira liked, or was rather obsessed with helping others’. He worked tirelessly to become an officer, to utilise a ‘legal’ means of aiding people, but despite having a clean record thanks to Sae, remnants of his past remain. Police departments talk, after all, remember his ‘troublesome’ past, so he had to work harder to be where he currently was. 

Yusuke always wondered what their lives would be like if Akira didn’t turn himself in, if he didn’t testify against Shido and protect them. However, another part of him was endlessly grateful as he knew something bad would occur or their efforts would mean nothing if Akira didn’t do it. Either way, it was deep in their past now, and while Yusuke felt as though Akira’s passion and persistence was being taken advantage of, perhaps this was the only way they were allowed to live. 

Sacrificing their values, bending to the will of those who harbour more power was just a part of life now that Metaverse was gone. 

Snapped away from his thoughts, Yusuke heard a knock on the door. His idle state, or rather trance, made time waste away in a matter of minutes. Approaching the front door, he gulped as he twisted the knob and pulled it open. 

“Hello!” Ryuji and Ann both greeted him, oddly cheerful. “Sorry, we’re a little early, but the traffic was better than expected.”

“Oh, that’s fine. I was just trying to pass time anyway…”  
Yusuke slid his foot back and gestured inside, allowing them to enter, and watched them remove their shoes.

“Where’s Akira?” Ryuji questioned, peering around the house. 

“He had to stay back, so he’ll be home later.”  
Yusuke moved towards the sofas and gestured once again, inviting them to sit down. 

Ryuji heeded, however, Ann and Emiri did not. Tucked away, hiding behind her mother, Emiri held onto Ann’s leggings, hindering her movements. Her shy demeanour was strange as they’ve met plenty of times, but the circumstances may have amplified her anxiety. 

“Aw, that sucks.” Ryuji huffed, draping his arm over the head of the sofa. “He’s not even going to say goodbye? What a great best friend…”

“He wanted me to send you his regards and he wishes for your luck, as well as your safety.”  
Yusuke kept glancing in Emiri’s direction, trying to decipher her behaviour.

“Give him our thanks.” Ann smiled and stepped forward. “It’d be nice to see him, but I understand how busy he is. How have you been, Yusuke?”

“I’ve been fine. I’m just working on my exhibition and was preparing for Emiri’s stay.”

“Oh, right! That’s soon, isn’t it?” A sudden look of disappointment shaped Ann’s features. “We’ll miss it, won’t we…? I’m sorry, I’d like to come, but everything is happening at once…”

“You needn’t apologise,” Yusuke assured her with a smile. “I’m sure I’ll display more of my art in the future and you could always pick up a magazine about it later on.”

“It’s probably better that I don’t come anyway,” Mumbled Ryuji. “I might fall asleep or whatever…”

Ann shot him a look of disapproval, then grinned at Yusuke.  
“Don’t mind him, he’s just not looking forward to the flight.” 

“Mm, it’s quite long, isn’t it?”

“Yup, about thirteen hours…” Ann's face turned with dread until she perked up, maneuvered around Emiri’s grasp and gently pushed her forward by the shoulders. “Anyway, why are you hiding? Don’t you love Uncle Yuu, hm?”

“U-Uh…” The girl mumbled out an incoherent mess, pressing her index fingers together as her gaze plummeted to the floor.

“Mommy will only be a phone call away and we can even do video calls. You’ll be safe here, I promise!” Kneeling down, Ann hugged her daughter from behind. “Uncle Aki’s a police officer, remember? If anything bad were to happen, he’ll protect you like a knight in shining armour!” 

“B-But…” Emiri shuffled on the spot. “D-Dad said cops aren’t trustworthy…”

“Don’t listen to that idiot.” 

“Hey!” Ryuji furrowed his brow. “It’s true! M-Maybe it doesn’t apply to Akira, but cops aren’t immediately trustworthy just because they have a badge.” 

“It is true, but…” 

Now that Emiri was within Yusuke’s line of sight, he could see her properly. She had grown since the last time he saw her. With blue-ish light grey eyes and dark blonde hair, she looked like a mix of both her parents. Her hair was tied up in a bun and she wore a white and light blue dotted dress. 

“Don’t you remember me?” He asked her, carefully stepping forward. “I attended your birthday last year and bought you a game.”

“O-Oh, no, I do remember you…” Emiri stammered and with nervous movements, she waved. “Hello…”

“Hi.” Yusuke huffed out of amusement, trying to appear non-threatening. “Feel free to look around the house. I’ll give you a tour later on.”

“Okay…”

Feeling more assured, Ann stood up and patted Emiri’s shoulder. “If it’s alright with you, could I see the room Emiri will be staying in?”

“Oh, sure, but would any of you like something to drink first?” 

Ann and Ryuji shook their heads, but Emiri gave a reluctant nod.

“C-Could I have something sweet, please…?”

“Of course-”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Ryuji said as he stood up and moved to Emiri’s side. “I’ll get her something to drink. You go and show Ann the room.”

“Uh…” Somewhat confused by his proposal, Yusuke nodded slowly. “Alright. Come this way, Ann.” He then beckoned and travelled up the stairs. She followed him and they both stilled in front of a room, only for Yusuke to open it and he gestured inside. 

Ann took a step, surveying the room’s decor in awe.  
“Wow…!” She expressed, amazed by their effort. “It’s gorgeous, I’m certain Emiri will love it!”

“Is it really?” Yusuke took another look at the room, bewildered by her amazement. “We weren’t sure what Emiri would like, so we just picked whatever seemed appropriate.”

“You’ve done an excellent job! Her room here looks even better than her own.” She giggled, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger. “Despite this arrangement only coming to fruition about a week ago, you’ve managed to do so much and make the spare room so inviting. You guys truly are reliable!” 

“I-It really isn’t that big of a deal.” Yusuke tried to deflect the praise, feeling as though it was unwarranted, but she radiated with gratitude far too much. “Although, now that we’re in private, I wanted to ask if something is bothering Emiri? She seems...more awkward than usual.”

“Oh, well, she’s upset and still, unfortunately, doesn’t understand why she can’t come with us. I’ve explained it to her, but she can’t really comprehend passports and stuff, which I can’t blame her for because I barely understand them either.” Reaching for her shoulder, Ann rubbed it while her expression faltered. “She’ll cheer up eventually, I’m sure of it.”

“...Does she not want to stay with us?”

“No, it’s not that…!” Ann waved her hands, attempting to assure him. “She’s only upset since we’re leaving today. When I first told her she’ll be staying with you, she asked if I was talking about the ‘uncles with the cat’ and once I explained that yes, I was, she perked up and seemed excited.” She then huffed and scratched her neck. “It’s not like she has other uncles since Ryuji and I don’t have any brothers, but I found it cute that’s how she remembers you.” 

Yusuke touched his chin, only to ponder aloud, “I suppose that’s good, but now that you’ve mentioned family, is it okay if I question why you didn’t ask your parents to look after her? I know why Ryuji’s mother couldn’t; however, we never talked about yours.” 

“Well…” Ann went quiet for a moment and folded her arms. “My parents don’t live close by, so the tutor would struggle to reach them and… I’m not exactly on the greatest terms with them so I didn’t want to bother.” 

“I see… Would you mind if I ask why you aren’t on good terms with them?” 

“...They don’t accept Ryuji as my partner.” Ann released a doleful sigh, her shoulders dropping. “When I got pregnant with Emiri they gave me a lot of grief as it made them realise I was serious about him. It’s...in the past now, over with, but I struggle to rely on them because of that.” 

“Oh, I never knew…” Yusuke slid his foot and pressed his back up against the doorframe. Her situation reminded him of his own, and while he didn’t want to shift the subject onto his problems, some relatability was healthy. “While it’s not exactly the same, I’ve struggled with Akira’s parents too, so you’re not alone in that regard.” 

“Hm? I thought his parents now accepted your relationship?” 

“They do, I suppose, but when we first started dating and told them, they gave us both a lot of heartache. I remember them saying I corrupted their son, that I was only using him to rely on and wanted his money…” Yusuke reached for his nape and exhaled. “After that, they acted like I didn’t exist, that Akira was just going through a phase he’d grow out of, but they soon realised I wasn’t going anywhere and tried to repair the relationship. Just like with your parents, we’re on...decent terms now; however, I struggle to rely on or trust them due to their past behaviour.” 

“Wow, that sounds tougher than my situation… My parents at least acknowledge Ryuji and only don’t approve of our relationship because they think I’m too good for him.” Ann laughed at the absurdity, trying to liven the mood. “Let’s just say they don’t know me very well if they think that…”

“Even though it isn’t kind, I can understand their perspective,” Yusuke joked, despite Ryuji’s lacking presence.

“Hey, he’s not that bad.” She giggled, waving her hand. “Have you met Akira’s parents at all, or do they prefer to keep you at arm's length?” 

“I’ve met them a couple of times, but they’re rather awkward towards me. They’ll actually be coming down soon to stay with us, so that will be interesting…” 

“Oh, really?” Surprise curled Ann's brow as a realisation dawned on her. “Wait… How soon? Will it be after Emiri’s stay or…?”

“It’ll be during.”

Ann awkwardly scratched her cheek while a sigh escaped her. “Crap, I’m so sorry…” She frowned, pouted. “If I knew about that, I wouldn’t have bothered you guys…”

“There’s no need for an apology,” Yusuke assured, a smile curling his lips. “We’ll just explain the situation to them and Emiri will remain with us. We...haven’t committed to a plan yet since Akira seems to be dodging the problem, but we previously discussed a hotel room, so we’ll probably buy them one.” 

“Well, if you ever need advice or help, I’ll be a phone call away. Especially regarding Emiri. If you have any questions, feel free to blast my phone!” With her guilt alleviated, Ann chuckled, placing a finger on her chin. “You might want to learn the different time zones though so you’re not calling in the early morning.” 

“We might take your offer far more than you think as neither of us have any experience with children.” 

“That’s fine, it’s a lot to take on. Although, while you have no experience, I remember how great of a brother figure Akira was towards Futaba. I’m certain you’ll both be lovely parents since your personalities are perfect for it!”

Yusuke brought his hands together and intertwined his fingers. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but...I feel as though the role of a guardian is far greater than a brother’s, and while Akira may have some experience, I absolutely do not.”

“It is; however, one trait a parent needs is the willingness to sacrifice, which you have already proven.” Ann let out a noise akin to a giggle and attempted to assure him. “You’ve both sacrificed a lot for Emiri despite her not even being your own child and you gave up going to art school in the UK so you could be with Akira.”

“I...may display that trait, but I feel as though I only did that because I wanted those things more than what was sacrificed.” Tapping his foot against the floor, Yusuke crossed his arms. “It wasn’t difficult for me to sacrifice those opportunities, especially for Akira…”

“Our child’s happiness is always more important to us than what we must sacrifice, so it evens out.” Ann pointed her finger upwards like an idea had formed. “Oh! You could also use this opportunity to see if you guys want children of your own! It’ll be a little trial, a taste of parenthood!”

“We’re...both men though…”

“So? There’s plenty of options for same-sex couples like adoption or IVF, although...adoption might be difficult and a lengthy process, so maybe that’s not really viable…” 

“Sure, there may be options, but…” Yusuke’s words trailed off into silence. He then touched the back of his neck and released a sigh. “Akira and I have never actually discussed the idea… The subject only ever comes up due to his parents wanting grandkids, but we always brush it aside.” 

“What…?!” Ann couldn’t contain her shock. Her eyebrows bent, utterly bewildered by their situation. “How haven’t you off-handedly asked in the seventeen years you’ve been together?! That’s a major topic all couples have to discuss at some point…!”

“We’re just both career-oriented and we know our situation is different from heterosexual couples, so the subject has never come up.” 

“Still, that’s something you guys really should discuss.” Pressing her back up against the wall, Ann exhaled at their predicament. “The last thing you want is to miss out on a major opportunity or life goal like that.” She then glanced at him, a look of concern on her face. “...Have you actually come to a conclusion on whether or not you want them yet?”

“...No, I haven’t given it much consideration.” Yusuke folded his arms, his lips pulling to the side. “Although, I suppose that indicates I’m content with remaining as we are…”

“What about Akira? He seems good with young people, after all.”

“Well, if he was interested, I feel as though he would’ve brought the subject up, especially since his parents like to pressure him.” Lowering his gaze to the floor, Yusuke began to tap a finger against his arm. “I cannot read his mind; however, I believe we’re on the same page - satisfied with our current lives.”

“...Even if it seems that way, you should still sit him down and discuss this thoroughly. Leaving it ambiguous wouldn’t do either of you any good, so just bite the bullet and talk to him.” 

“Are you giving me advice based on experience?” 

“What do you think?” Ann laughed into her hand, muffling her voice slightly. “Of course I am, I’m a mother, after all.”

Amused, Yusuke huffed. “Ah, yes… Motherly advice is quite useful, or so I’ve heard.”

“You bet it is! Although I’m not your mother, that’d be weird…” After awkwardly scratching her scalp, Ann peered down at her watch. “Oh, crap. Our flight will be soon. We better head back to the living room for our goodbyes.” 

Yusuke acknowledged her suggestion with a nod and followed her outside the room.

~~~~~~~~~

Back in the living room, Yusuke witnessed Emiri tear up as she said goodbye to her parents. They hugged, squeezed each other and tried to assure the girl everything would be alright. Yusuke even tried to join in, to make Emiri feel confident of their care, but she took some time to warm up to the idea. 

After a heartfelt and somewhat long farewell, Emiri and Yusuke waved at the couple as they drove away, disappearing down the street. They then went back inside the house, a bittersweet feeling lingering in their hearts. 

To try and break the ice, Yusuke surveyed the house, looking for something to discuss, only to realise a tour was warranted.  
“Would you like me to take you around the house and show you all the rooms?”

Distracted by a painting on the wall, Emiri perked up and turned to face him. “O-Okay...” She murmured, still recovering from heightened emotions. 

“Well, this is obviously the living room,” Yusuke explained, extending his arm towards the sofas. “We usually relax in here or watch television. Akira has a game console I know he plays with your father sometimes, so if you’re interested in that, I’m certain he’d allow you to play.” 

“O-Oh…” With awkward movements, Emiri fidgeted with her hands as she looked up at the television. “I...sometimes play with my dad, so that sounds good…”

“That’s great.” Yusuke smiled and gestured towards the stairs. “However, since you’re rather familiar with this room, would you like to see another one?”

“Sure…”

She followed him down the hall, towards the stairs, only to stop by a door.  
“What’s in here?”

Yusuke turned to see her pointing at a room just by the staircase.  
“Ah, that’s my studio. I can show you it later, but since it’s a room you won’t have to go in much, I won’t prioritise it.” 

“Okay.”

Resuming their tour, Yusuke ensured Emiri didn’t struggle to wander up the stairs, then guided her to the first room. 

“This’ll be your bedroom,” He explained and allowed her to begin exploring it. “If you have any desires or requirements for it, feel free to ask us. We’ll try our best to accommodate your needs.”

As he spoke, Emiri stepped into the room and looked around, awestruck by its appearance. She then tilted her head, confused by Yusuke’s language.  
“Huh?”

“Hm? What is it?”  
Yusuke didn’t understand her uncertainty, nor the cause of it.

Emiri faced him, pressing her index fingers together while she stared at her feet. “S-Sorry, but I…” Her words trailed off and she tapped her foot against the floor. “I don’t understand what you’re saying… You’re using words I don’t know yet.”

“Eh? O-Oh, I apologise…” Caught off guard, Yusuke never thought the way he spoke confused others’, but perhaps it was too difficult for a nine-year-old to decipher. “This is just the way I speak; however, I’ll try my best to use casual language for you.”

“Thanks.” A slight smile curled her lips, only for her eyes to avert yet again. “I don’t mean to be rude, but my brain just shuts down whenever I hear words I don’t understand.”

“No, I understand, you needn’t worry- Er… You don’t have to worry.”  
Changing his language would be more of a challenge than he anticipated.  
“A-Anyway, this room is yours. We bought you a couple of things we thought you may like, but if it isn’t to your standards, please tell us. We’ll try our best to make this room truly feel like yours.”

“It’s really pretty.” Emiri turned her attention back to the room, only to notice the plushies on the bed. “They’re so cute!” She then hurried towards them, picked up the penguin toy and squeezed it, giggling. 

“I’m glad you like them.” Her joy was infectious, causing Yusuke to smile as he stepped closer. “Akira and I had quite the debate on whether or not you’d like the penguin or panda more.” 

“I like them both!” She grinned, grabbing the panda too. “They’re so soft…”

Yusuke just watched, happy to see her cheering up. 

Emiri ran her hands through the plushies fur and gave them both a hug before placing them back against the pillow. “When will Uncle Aki be home?” She asked, lifting her gaze to make eye contact. 

“Uh…” Yusuke elevated his wrist and adjusted his watch, seeking the time. “He had to stay back, so probably a couple of hours from now. I believe he’ll be home at around six, but I can’t be certain because it changes all the time.” 

“Do police officers not go home at set times like other jobs?” As Emiri continued to articulate her question, she sat down on the bed, “Like, for example, my parents finish work just before school does so they can pick me up. Although they rotate, so my mum will pick me up one day, then my dad will the next.” 

“Police officers do, but Akira tends to stay back to help his department or finish writing reports.” Carefully, Yusuke approached and sat next to her. “Just like your parents, we’ll also be rotating. I work too, so Akira will be your primary guardian on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, although that’ll begin next week since it was too sudden for this one.” 

“Oh, yeah. Aren’t you an artist?” 

“I am; however, I also teach art, so I cannot be home every day.”

Emiri’s face lit up. “Wait, you’re a teacher too?” 

“Well, not a proper one. I’m only allowed to teach due to my reputation, so I’m more of a substitute teacher.”

“Do you think you’ll ever be my teacher? A-And what grade level do you teach?”

“I teach university students and only those who are pursuing a career in art. If creative works are also your passion, then our paths might cross, but if not, then we won’t.” 

“Ah, I see.” Looking down, Emiri began to tap her sock-covered foot against the carpet. “Drawing is fun, but I’m not sure if I want to do it as a job. I like makeup and playing sports more.”

“Makeup is a form of art; however, it isn’t one I have any knowledge or skill in.” Yusuke reached for and rubbed his neck. “Since neither I or Akira wear it, we don’t have any makeup here, so if you’d like some…”

Emiri shook her head. “I don’t wear it either, at least not in public. My mum lets me do her makeup and she puts it on me too, but it’s only for fun. We usually do silly designs and stuff like that.” She then giggled, recalling fond memories.

“I see. If you’d like some, feel free to ask though.”

“Okay.” Emiri placed her hands on her lap, her cheeks growing a faint pink. “A-Are...you and Uncle Aki married...?”

Somewhat surprised by her question, Yusuke pressed his lips together. “No, we aren’t. It’s...a little complicated for us, so we’ve just left the matter alone.” 

“Why’s that?”

“Uh…” Conflicted, Yusuke didn’t know whether or not he should be truthful. She’d learn of the reason someday, but he didn’t want to cross a boundary, to teach her if he lacked the permission, the blessing to do so. Biting the inside of his cheek, he concluded that a vague answer would be the wisest. “There’s some...complication with the law and paperwork.”

“Well, when that clears up, will you?” 

“Of course we will, although...I am curious as to why you’re asking.”

“I want to attend a wedding.” Imagining it, an excited grin formed Emiri’s lips. “I’ve seen them in movies and they look really fun and beautiful.” Her expression then dropped as she realised something. “W-Wait, would you invite me to your wedding…? Some people don’t like kids being there…” 

“Of course we would.” Yusuke tried to assure her with a smile. “Everyone would be welcome, including children.”

“Yay!” She threw her arms up into the air, cheering as joy returned to her face. “C-Could I also be the flower girl…?! I promise to pick out flowers that match the wedding!”

“Certainly.” Even though he was happy to see her excitement, reality had to be reminded. “While it’s fun to think about, you might want to contain yourself a bit as it’ll likely be a long time from now. Perhaps you’ll even be an adult by the time it happens.” 

“Aw, really? That long…?” She frowned, only to smile again. “As long as you keep your promises, then I guess I can wait as long as I have to.” 

“I will, I assure you.” Standing up, Yusuke gestured towards the door. “Anyway, shall we continue the tour? I’ll help you unpack your belongings once we’re finished.” 

“Okay!”  
Emiri hopped off the bed and followed him out into the next room, the bathroom. 

She looked around, somewhat surprised by the black tiles and white walls. A rather large bath was near the back of the room with a shower nearby. The toilet was separated from them by a glass door and so was the sink. She could see herself in the reflection of a large mirror and noticed plantlife scattered about on shelves, livening the bathroom a bit. 

“Akira and I tend to use our bedroom ensuite more than here, so you’ll mostly have this place to yourself.” Turning around, Yusuke pointed. “The door also has a lock. We’ll make sure to knock on closed doors now that you’re here, but don’t hesitate to use the lock if it makes you feel more secure.” 

“...Now that I’m here?”

“Hm?”

“You don’t usually knock on closed doors?”

“O-Oh, uh…” Blush began to burn Yusuke’s pale cheeks while his embarrassment amplified. “W-We’re a couple, so we’re comfortable with seeing each other...under those circumstances…” He tried to explain, but he only made matters worse. “A-Anyway! Enough about that… Feel free to leave your shampoo and beauty essentials in here too as we have our own and won’t use them.”

“Okay. I suppose I’ll have to clean it too since I’ll be the only one using it?”

“Depends. Obviously, we like to keep the house clean, so we’d appreciate it if you could keep the place tidy, but we’ll handle the procedures that require chemicals and so on.”

“So like at home, basically?” 

“Yes.” While Yusuke glanced at the laundry basket, curiosity about Emiri’s capabilities began to surface in his mind. “Do you clean and dry your own clothes yet?”

“Er…” Emiri tapped on her chin, pondering on a way to answer. “Not really… I can place my clothes in the washing machine, but my parents turn it on and dry them.”

“Alright, well then, either I or Akira will do the task for you. Just put your used clothes in the basket and we’ll handle it.”

Emiri nodded. “Okay.”

“I’ll show you our bedroom now.” Turning around, Yusuke stepped outside the bathroom and walked down the hall, ensuring she followed with a quick glance. “You might need one of us during the night, therefore, I believe it’s wise for you to know where it is.” 

“Yeah, that sounds smart…” Emiri peered at the photos and paintings on the walls of the hallway while she followed loosely behind him. “I might get lost here since it’s pretty confusing…” 

“You’ll get used to it soon.” Opening their bedroom door, Yusuke gestured inside. “Don’t hesitate to ask us where something is if you need.”

Emiri stepped inside, only for her eyes to roam around, examining each and every detail. A spacious zen bed was pressed up against the wall with a grey blanket and white pillows. Paintings and plantlife livened the room, personalised it and gave it a cozy atmosphere. Other necessities, such as a closet and bedside tables were present too, but a specific painting captivated Emiri. 

Colourful silhouettes formed the appearance of a park. Autumn-like shades illuminated the painting, ranging from navy blues, bright yellows, deep reds and apricot oranges. They merged, sometimes clashed and created distinctive shapes. If you peered closely, you could see a hazy figure sitting underneath a tree, a bike aside them and a cat in their lap. 

“Wow, it’s so pretty…!” Breathless amazement escaped her lips as she gawked, awestruck by its beauty. “D-Did you paint this?”

“Hm?” Yusuke took a step to see what had smitten her. “Oh, yes, I did. However, it’s rather old.”

“...Are all the paintings here yours?”

Yusuke gave a nod. “Indeed they are. Akira likes to hang up my paintings and switches them out every season as I’ve painted so many over the years.” He then chuckled. “He believes each and every should be appreciated. I don’t mind it, so long as he chooses appropriate themes.”

Emiri just blinked at him, overawed by astonishment. “That’s...amazing! The idea they're all your paintings never came to me until now…”

“I’m glad you think it is.” Smiled Yusuke. “However, I do not agree with his choice here.” He mumbled, straying his gaze back to the painting. “It’s summer, so an autumn-themed painting doesn’t seem appropriate.”

“Does that matter if it’s beautiful?”

“I suppose it doesn’t necessarily matter, but…” Yusuke turned his attention back towards the room. “Anyway, this is where we sleep. We’d appreciate it if you could knock before you enter so we don’t run into any...awkward moments.”

“Okay, that shouldn’t be a problem.” Placing her finger onto her cheek, Emiri surveyed the room more. “It’s really clean…” She expressed and took a step forward. “When I visited a friend, his room was really messy. I told my dad and he said boys are gross, especially when it comes to maintaining their bedrooms. I thought that since you are both boys, your house would be smelly, but it’s actually super clean…”

“I’d...be careful of taking what your father says as fact.” Yusuke massaged his neck, permitting a slight exhale. “Some boys are messy, but so are some girls. It depends on someone’s personality more than their sex. You won’t have to worry about a messy environment here since both me and Akira prefer to remain tidy.” 

“That’s good to hear, at least.” 

“Would you like to see the backyard now? It’s rather small, but you might be able to play some sports out there.” 

“Sure! Although, I didn’t bring any of my equipment with me.” 

“That’s not a problem as we can always buy you some.” 

Yusuke guided her out of the room and down the stairs. He then turned and moved past the staircase, approaching the back door. He opened it, permitting her to walk outside first. 

Bright green grass and a stone path pressed against their feet as they moved into the centre of the garden, allowing Emiri to examine the space. 

“I might be able to play soccer out here.” She concluded, her gaze shifting towards a shrub. “I’d need another person to play that properly though…”

“If we’re free, we could always play with you,” Yusuke suggested, a faint smile on his lips. “However, I wouldn’t expect a challenge as neither of us are sporty. You’d probably win without much effort.”

“That’d be interesting.” Emiri shot a confident grin his way. “Although, I thought Uncle Aki would be pretty athletic. Don’t you have to be fit to become an officer?” 

“Er, I suppose it matters to a degree. Akira is far more athletic than me, but it isn’t from playing sports. He goes to the gym and does exercises.”

“Hm, you don’t join him?”

“Um…” Yusuke elevated his hand, scratching his cheek. “I do sometimes; however, he mainly does it for work, and those types of environments don’t really appeal to me… I prefer a private jog at night or something along those lines.” 

Emiri scrunched up her face. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“It can be, but I can handle myself if something were to happen.”

“Oh!” Her expression perked up. “Did Uncle Aki teach you self-defence?” 

“Yeah, you could say that.” Sheepishly, Yusuke averted his eyes. “...I have some personal experience too.”

“Eeh?! You’ve beaten up bad guys?!”

“No, it’s nothing like that. Just some...otherworldly experiences.” Shifting the subject, Yusuke peered down at the grass. “Anyway, be careful out here. Since we don’t use the backyard, besides drying clothes, it’s practically Morgana’s kitty litter. I’ve cleaned the yard the best I could, but you might encounter some...droplets here and there over the course of your stay.” 

“Ah, that’s why I didn’t see a litter.” A slight frown shaped her lips. “I thought Mona might’ve passed away, so that’s a relief!”

“Unfortunately, not yet.”

“U-Unfortunately…?”

Realising his mistake, Yusuke scrambled to mend it, “Er, I-I meant ‘fortunately’...” 

“Hm…” Emiri wandered around, swaying her head as she searched. “Where is Mona anyway?”

“Last I saw him, he was sunbathing on the living room window sill.”

“Can I go pat him or do you have a few more rooms to show me?”

“Um…” Yusuke gave it some thought, only to conclude no other rooms were necessary for her to see. “No, that’s all, I believe. There’s still my studio and the kitchen, but you don’t necessarily have to see my workspace and you’ve already been to the kitchen.” 

“Okay! I’ma go pat Mona then.” 

With a grin, she hurried back inside, and Yusuke increased his pace to catch up to her. She was rather fast, especially when she wished to be. Yusuke then found her in the living room, carefully approaching a feline resting near the window. 

“Hello, Mona!” She greeted the cat and ran her fingers over his fur, gently stroking his ears. “Did you miss me?”

“Ugh, who’s that…?”  
To her ears, a soft meow came out; however, Yusuke’s heard an unforgettable voice instead. 

“Aw! Your meow is so cute!” 

Yusuke tended to her side, watching her sit as she picked the feline up and placed him on her lap. 

“I wish I could perceive his voice as such…”

“Hm?” Emiri peered up at him, tilting her head in confusion. “What does that mean?”

“Oh, nothing.” Yusuke brushed it aside by waving his hand. “Morgana likes to sleep with others’ by his side so perhaps he could sleep in your room?”

“Really?! I’ve always wanted to sleep with a pet!” She beamed, gladdened by the suggestion. “They’re like living plushies that can love you back!”

“What?! I won’t be handled like a plushie!” Morgana grumbled, squirming in Emiri’s grasp.

His resistance made Emiri pout.  
“Aw, is Mona uncomfortable…?” 

“Just let her have this moment, would you?” 

“Huh?” Even more bewildered, Emiri’s brow furrowed. “Who are you talking to?”

“Our little friend here.” Yusuke poked Morgana’s head with two fingers. “He’s always rowdy after a nap…”

“Rowdy?! Yeah, right! And what are you doing suggesting I sleep in her room without my permission?!” Angered meows continued to pour from Morgana’s mouth, “You just want me out of the bedroom so you can do perverted things to Akira! Well, guess what mister? I ain’t going anywhere! I’ve lived with Akira longer than you, and he isn’t just yours!”

“Wow, he is quite vocal today…” Straightening his posture, Yusuke released a sigh and muttered under his breath, “I’m getting a headache just from being subjected to it all…”

“Is he unhappy with me…?” Emiri sniffled, on the verge of tears.

“Of course not!” He attempted to assure her, “If anything, he’s angry at me.” 

“Hm? Why? Do you two not get along?”

“I wouldn’t say that. There’s just...confliction sometimes. I kicked him out of our bedroom last night, so he must still be sore about that.”

“You don’t like sleeping with animals?”

“Uh, depends, I suppose… I only mind it when I wish to do something.”

“Huh? Like what?”

“...Um.” A pink hue enveloped Yusuke’s cheeks, made them burn with embarrassment. “...Sleep soundly.” 

“Does Mona make it difficult to sleep?” 

“He can, especially when it’s cold. He likes to sleep on the blankets, so it’s difficult to adjust them without pulling him too.”

“You know, I can hear you, right?!” Growled Morgana.

“Anyway, now that you’ve greeted Morgana, we should go unpack your things,” Yusuke suggested while his eyes stray to his watch. “It’ll take some time, but it’s important.”

“Aw, can’t you just do it for me?”

“I could; however, you won’t know where anything is and I’d appreciate it if you could join me. I’m sure you have some things you don’t want me to see or touch, like a diary or something, so it’d be good for you to place them wherever you like.”

“Alright, I’ll help then…” With a slight pout, Emiri lifted and placed Morgana back on the window sill. “Oh, by the way, I don’t own a diary.” 

Yusuke couldn’t help but chuckle. “That’s fine. I don’t own one either.”

~~~~~~~~~

They spent the rest of their time unpacking Emiri’s belongings. From clothes to entertainment, they stored or organised various items in the closet, drawers or placed them in accessible locations. The two bonded, got to know each other more as they soared through their tasks, maintaining a steady but not tedious pace. 

Her suitcase eventually emptied and all of her belongings were out, ready to be used or admired. Just on the verge of completion, Yusuke received a call from Akira, informing him he was too exhausted to cook and that he’ll grab something on the way home. Thanks to Emiri, they quickly decided on what to eat, and they waited for him to arrive in the living room. 

“Do you think my parents are in the USA yet?” Emiri asked, leaning on the arm of the sofa as she peered up at the television. 

Yusuke glanced down at his watch. “Perhaps. Your mother said it was thirteen hours, so I think it’s more likely they’re still on the plane.” 

“Are plane scary? I heard they crash sometimes…”

“They rarely do. They usually malfunction due to poor maintenance or unfortunate circumstances, like weather, but it’s highly unlikely to happen, especially with our safety measures in place. You don’t have to worry, trust me.” He tried to assure her with a grin and it seemed to have worked as her shoulders relaxed. “Despite knowing that, I’ve only been on a plane once.”

“Hm? Where did you go?”

“Hawaii. It was a school trip, although I was supposed to actually go to Los Angeles.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“The plane couldn’t land due to a storm.”

“Wow…” A worried look crinkled Emiri’s features. “Were you scared…?”

“Not really, no.”

“But you could’ve died, right?”

“...Dying is always a possibility, but you shouldn’t live life worrying about when it will happen.”

“Yeah, but don’t those types of situations make you think about it more?”

“I suppose they do; however, I was assured nothing bad would happen, so it didn’t bother me.”

“Well, did you at least enjoy the trip?”

“Yes, Hawaii is quite beautiful.”

“Would you go there again?”

Yusuke considered it for a moment, touching his chin. “I’d like to. My work and Akira’s keep us here though, so an overseas trip isn’t as easy as we would like.”

“Hopefully, you can go again one day-”

The sound of keys jingling and a door opening strayed their attention. Akira then stepped inside the house with a plastic bag, it rustling with each of his movements. 

“Uncle Aki!” Emiri sprung up from the sofa and hurried to his side. “You’re finally home.”

“Yeah…” A weary voice slipped from his lips, only for his expression to brighten. “Sorry, I’m so late. There was just a lot that had to be done…” With his free hand, he elevated it onto her head and gently ruffled her hair. “It’s good to see you happy.”

“Mm, Uncle Yuu helped me feel better!” She responded to his touch with a grin. “Wow… You really look like an officer in that uniform!”

“That might be because I actually am one.” Akira chuckled, lightly teasing her. “Did you have fun with Uncle Yuu?”

“Aw, don’t bully me…” She faked a pout but her smile soon returned. “Yeah, I thought unpacking would be really boring, but it actually wasn’t.”

Despite his wish to not interrupt them, Yusuke stood up and approached them, gently guiding the bag out of Akira’s hand.  
“I’ll handle the food.” 

“Is that how you greet your boyfriend?”  
A smirk curled Akira’s lips once Yusuke’s expression turned to confusion, making his motive clear. 

“You’re quite the joker tonight.” Yusuke shot a grin his way and lifted the bag up. “We should eat before it gets cold.” 

“Yeah, let’s eat! I’m starving!”  
Emiri cheered and hurried ahead of them into the kitchen. They followed, entertained by her cheerful demeanour.

Yusuke sorted the food out onto the table, ensuring everyone was satisfied with their chosen meals. He then retrieved the cutlery and gave Emiri her plastic cat-themed chopsticks. 

Just as Emiri was about to settle down and devour her food, she caught a glimpse of the time displaying on the microwave.  
“Oh, my favourite show is going to begin soon…” She looked conflicted, like she wished to request something but didn’t know if she should. “...C-Could I eat in the living room so I don’t miss it? I promise to not make a mess!” 

Yusuke and Akira looked at each other, curious as to how the other felt about the request. 

“Sure, just be careful not to spill anything. The sofas are white so it’ll be difficult to clean them if you do.” Akira heeded, slightly smiling. 

“Yay! Thank you! I promise to be super-duper clean!” And with that, she took off into the living room with her food, eager to watch her show. 

“Are you sure about this…?” Yusuke expressed concern, throwing the plastic bag into the bin. “We don’t even eat in there.”

“We’ll give her a chance.” Pulling the lid off his food, Akira grabbed out a chair. “I don’t want to risk upsetting her since I’m sure she misses her parents…”

“Right. She did seem pretty upset when they left.” 

“Yeah… I’m sorry I couldn’t be here for it. I feel pretty bad about it…”

“Don’t worry about it, Akira.” Yusuke tried to assure his partner and tended to his side. “I just gave her a tour around the house and she seemed to brighten up from our conversations.” 

“That’s good to hear. Hopefully, she’ll be alright.”

“I believe she will be. Anyway, I apologise for not greeting you properly.” Yusuke leaned forward, attempting to kiss Akira, but instead of touching another pair of lips, he collided with a finger. “...What’s the matter...?”

“Did you ask Ann if it’s okay for us to show affection in front of her?”

“W-What…? Why would I have to?”

“It’s their daughter…”

“I’m sorry, but it would be ridiculous of them to even think that’s a reasonable request.” Yusuke huffed, irked by the thought. “No, I didn’t ask because I didn’t feel it was necessary, and I highly doubt those two would even ask such a thing. It’s not like they ever asked us to hide the fact we’re in a homosexual relationship, so why are you concerned about this?”

“It’s less about that and more because some parents don’t like displaying affection in front of their children. If we do it but Ann and Ryuji don’t, Emiri will get confused and think her parents don’t love each other.”

“D-Do you truly believe those two, Ann and Ryuji, don’t display affection in front of her? You do realise who we are talking about, right?”

“Hey, I’m not going to assume just because they’re...uninhibited in front of us.” 

“Even if we don’t assume, what logic is there in hiding affection from your almost pre-teen daughter? Shouldn’t they wish to show her a healthy relationship, one where each partner feel no need to conceal themselves from the other?”

“I never said it was logical, but I do know a lot of parents who behave like that.” 

“Well, they’re silly and I hope those two aren’t dumb enough to fall into that mindset.” Reaching into his pocket, Yusuke pulled his phone out. “I struggled to know what a genuine relationship looked like, one that wasn’t fictional, because I didn’t have any parents or relatives capable of showing me. You’re only setting your child up for heartache by denying them these things.” 

“Wow, you are quite passionate.” Akira chuckled, somewhat amused by his partner’s behaviour. “For the record, my parents were never affectionate in front of me, hell, they still won’t be, and I turned out just fine. ...Right?”

Focused on his phone, Yusuke glanced up momentarily. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I suppose…”

“Eh?! What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Yusuke lowered his phone. “You’re fine; however, I don’t exactly think being exposed to your parents' relationship would necessarily be good either. They aren’t the...healthiest bunch, and while some children may be able to recognise genuine relationships down the line, not everyone has that gift nor do they progress the same. It’s beside the point anyway, there’s no real logical argument to defend concealing affection from your child. The only one I hear regurgitated is it ‘preserves’ their innocence, but you shouldn’t be humping or doing any acts that would take that away from them anyway!” 

Akira just huffed out his amusement. “You really want to kiss me, don’t you?” 

“Yes! Yes, I do, dammit!” Exhaling loudly, Yusuke checked his phone. “Hurry up and reply…”

Confused for a moment, Akira managed to figure it out, “Did you text them?”

“Yes. I may disagree with the choice to hide all forms of affections from your children, but I’ll at least respect a parent’s decision to do it.” 

“To be honest, I doubt Ann and Ryuji are like that.”

“Then why are you putting me through this...?!” Yusuke pouted, torn by his partner’s logic.

“Because I also respect a parent’s decision to do it.” Picking up his chopsticks, Akira shoved a heap of rice into his mouth, chewing it. “I thought you were hungry. Shouldn’t you eat while waiting for an answer?”

“I’ve lost my appetite now.” Coming to a realisation, Yusuke’s brow furrowed. “Wait… You keep saying ‘in front of’, but Emiri isn’t even in here. Are you implying we can’t even show affection in other rooms?”

“Yeah.”

“What…?! Now that makes even less sense-!”

Akira’s composure cracked and laughter escaped his lips, interrupting his partner. “I’m kidding, calm down. Don’t pop a blood vessel on me now.”

“Ugh, you’re so cruel tonight…!” Clenching his shirt, Yusuke shook his head. “What happened to my sweet and loving boyfriend…?!”

“He got hungry.”

The arrival of a notification caused Yusuke’s phone to make a sound. He immediately raised it to eye-level, reading Ann’s reply. A smirk then formed his lips as he turned the phone around. 

“She said it’s fine if we do, so take that!” 

Akira peered to see the message, then let out a huff.  
“I love how eager you are.”

“At least she’s allowed to use her wifi on the plane or I would’ve-”

Yusuke’s words trail off as a pair of lips pressed against his. He felt an arm wrap around his waist and a hand caress his cheek. Drawn to the touch, his body relaxed and he wished to return the sensations by gently curling his fingers into Akira’s hair. He then allowed his fingertips to brush down Akira’s nape, sliding his other hand along his partner’s back, despite his phone. 

They soon depart, their breath brushing against the other’s moist lips. 

“Are you satisfied now?” Akira questioned, smirking.

“Perhaps for now, yes.” Yusuke couldn’t help but smile, a faint blush on his cheeks. “I apologise for sulking.”

Akira just chuckled. “There’s nothing to apologise for. Your passion for me is adorable.” He then shuffled downwards, hugging Yusuke and burrowing in the crook of his neck. “I missed you today...”

“I-I missed you too.” The hue of Yusuke’s cheek darkened into a deep crimson. “But...was there a reason you did? Besides the obvious ones, I mean.”

“There...was a car crash incident today… I had to cordon the scene, cover a body and question witnesses. I found out it was a young couple, one of them was hospitalised with severe injuries while the other passed away on the spot… I don’t know why, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you, despite knowing you’re safe here and drive infrequently…”

“...” Yusuke squeezed his partner and supported his head. “...I’m sorry to hear that. It must’ve been difficult to witness and I hope the victims can find peace…” 

“Mm…” Akira gently pulled away, releasing a doleful sigh. “I apologise, I shouldn’t bring this kind of stuff home…”

“No, please don’t be sorry.” Elevating his hand, Yusuke caressed his partner’s cheek. “It’s healthy to talk about these things, to not bottle them up, and I wish to hear you voice them. I’ll always be here for you, willing to listen and bring you comfort in whatever way I can.”

“Thanks, Yusuke.” A smile curled Akira’s lips. “We should really eat now though because the food is going to freeze by the time we do.” 

“Right, right…” Sliding a foot back, Yusuke pulled out a chair besides Akira. “Just know that if you want to talk about it later, I’ll always lend you my ear.”

“Mm, you’re so sweet.” Akira displayed his appreciation by looking at Yusuke fondly and patting his shoulder. He then sat down and grabbed his chopsticks once again.

Yusuke sat by him, sliding his food over and began to dig in. 

“Enough about me, how was your day?” Akira asked, chewing on a steamed carrot.

“Uh, it was fine. Besides showing Emiri around and helping her unpack, I didn’t do much today. I cleaned the backyard like you asked and tried to make some progress on my painting, but my mind was too distracted to do so.”

“Hm? What’s on your mind?”

“Oh, nothing. I was just a little nervous about Emiri’s arrival.” 

“Are you feeling better about it now?”

“Yeah. It turned out better than I expected, to be honest.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Yusuke’s eyes lingered on Akira’s attire, examined it before he expressed concern, “Shouldn’t you change…? You might get your uniform dirty.” 

“Probably, but I’m worried that if I go into our room, I’ll collapse on the bed…”

“Was today truly that exhausting?” A worried frown formed Yusuke’s lips. “You can go straight to bed after eating. I’ll handle Emiri and the cleanup.”

“No, it’s alright. I still need to bathe and I don’t want to throw all the responsibilities onto you. I might wake up after eating.”

“...Perhaps. Did you have lunch today?”

“I didn’t get the chance to-” Interrupted by a yawn, Akira covered his mouth. “...So, no, I didn’t. I had breakfast though.”

“That’s not enough. You need to eat properly, Akira.”

“I try to, but sometimes I don’t get a break. It was just stressful today because school holidays started, things should die down soon.” 

Despite his attempts to assure, Yusuke’s worry only amplified.  
“Please be careful. The weather is getting warmer and the last thing you need is to get dehydrated or faint from heatstroke.” 

“I will, promise.” Akira permitted a confident grin. “I’ll make both you and Emiri breakfast tomorrow, so I’ll ensure to pack a lunch for myself too.”

Pressing his chopsticks against his mouth, Yusuke pouted as his eyes averted. “Let me guess, you aren’t going to let me cook for Emiri at all during her stay?”

“Nope. I can’t risk you poisoning our friends’ daughter, after all.”  
The look Yusuke gave caused Akira to chuckle.

“I’m truly not that bad. I’ve only given you food poisoning once.”

“You act like I wasn’t bedridden for weeks because of it.”

“Okay, yes, that may have happened, but I’ve learnt how to recognise spoiled ingredients since then.” 

“I’d still prefer not to risk it. You can make her pre-made meals or stuff like toast, but anything that involves cooking will be my job.” 

“Fine.” Pouting, Yusuke nibbled on a piece of pork. “However, once she returns home, you’re going to let me cook unsupervised. I’ll never learn how to if you always do it.”

“I think we’re long past that point, but fine.”

Yusuke just lightly nudged his partner’s arm, watching a smug smirk curl his lips. They then focused on their meals, enjoying each other’s company as they bantered more or discussed relevant matters.

~~~~~~~~~

After dinner, Emiri greeted them with an empty bowl and a clean sofa. She didn’t spill anything or cause stains, which pleased them. The later hours of the night crept up on them without recognition, passed by far sooner than they perceived. 

The latest Ann allowed Emiri to stay awake for was ten o’clock, but they noticed her yawning, growing more unresponsive as she watched television with them. 

“Would you like to go to bed, Emiri?” Yusuke finally asked, glancing down at his watch.

Distracted by patting Morgana, she perked up a moment too late. “Huh? Oh, uh… I guess so. I am a little tired…” 

“You know, you don’t have to wait for us to go to bed. You’re free to go to sleep whenever you feel like it.”

“Y-Yeah, I know. I just wanted to hang out with Uncle Aki a bit…” 

“I’m pretty tired myself, to be honest…” Akira stretched his arms over his head, only to sink back into the sofa. “...I need to wash up before bed too.”

Worry shaped Emiri’s expression. “Did I keep you up?” 

“No, not at all,” Akira assured her with a smile. “It’s not good to sleep straight after eating. I’d practically be asking for heartburn if I did…”

“Mm, my mum said it’s unhealthy and that you shouldn’t swim after eating too.”

“Isn’t the swimming part a myth…?” Yusuke questioned and touched his chin. “I swear it was debunked years ago.”

“Well, yeah. The belief that you’d drown was debunked, but I think it’s still possible to get cramps or discomfort.” 

“W-Wait, drowning…?!” Emiri looked at them with surprise, her eyebrows curling. “I-I never heard about drowning!”

Realising he misspoke, Akira tried to mend it, “That’s because it won’t cause drowning. It’s an ancient myth, one that isn’t true at all.” 

“So...I won’t drown if I swim after eating…?”

“No, but you might get a stitch or cramps, so I’d still avoid heavy meals before it.” 

“Okay…” Emiri ran her fingers through Morgana’s fur, gently stroking his ears. “Since it’s summer, do you think we could go to the beach? My parents usually take me, but they’re not here, so…”

“Hm, the beach… We haven’t gone to one in years.” Yusuke glanced at his partner sitting next to him. “What do you think? Would you like to go?”

“Sure, it sounds like a great plan. Although, it might have to be next week since I’m working too much right now.” Poking Morgana’s paw, Akira focused on Emiri. “Is that alright? Oh, and do you have swimwear? Otherwise, we’ll have to buy you some.”

“Yeah, that’s fine, and I do. My mum even packed it, just in case.”

“Then it’s sorted. We’ll go to the beach next week.”

“Yay!” Emiri cheered, excited from the thought. She then yawned, her fatigue increasing. “...I’ll look forward to it.”

“I’m happy to hear that.” Yusuke expressed and tried to approach the idea of rest again, “Today was quite busy for you, so I’m certain you’re tired. Why don’t you go prepare for bed and we’ll talk more in the morning?”

“Yeah, I’ma head to bed, but, uh…” Emiri stood up, pressing her index fingers together until she managed to look at them. “M-My parents usually tuck me in, s-so…” Her cheeks turned light pink, embarrassed by the request. 

“If that’s the case, we’ll do it too.” Yusuke also stood up, a grin on his lips. “I think it’s wise that I escort you to your room anyway.”

“Y-You don’t mind…?”

“Of course not.”

“Do you want us both there, or…?” Akira asked, rising to his feet.

“No, one of you is fine.” 

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll go have a bath and prepare for bed.” Elevating his hand, he patted Emiri on the head. “Goodnight. I’ll see you again tomorrow evening, hopefully.”

“M-Mm!” Emiri reached upwards, trying to give Akira a hug. “Goodnight, Uncle Aki! Be safe at work, okay?”

The both of them wished to be careful of Emiri’s personal space, to not hug her without her permission, but since she acted first, Akira yielded, kneeled and wrapped his arms around her. 

“Of course I’ll be careful. I have you two waiting for me, after all.” He smiled, and soon departed from her, giving her head another pat.

She responded with a grin, closing one of her eyes as his palm made contact. “Good. You’re too young to die and I still have to attend your wedding.”

Yusuke involuntarily snorted and quickly covered his mouth.

“What are you laughing at…?” Akira wondered, lifting an eyebrow.

“It’s nothing.” Yusuke waved his hand, dismissing the subject. “Anyway, let’s get you changed and into bed.” 

“While you do that, I’ll go bathe.” Reaching for his partner’s arm, Akira leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll see you soon.” He then winked, waved at both of them and walked away, up the stairs.

“E-Eh…?!” Yusuke reacted, his face burning from embarrassment. He then sheepishly glanced at Emiri, who didn’t seem fazed. 

“Are you alright, Uncle Yuu?” She asked, tilting her head. 

“Y-Yes, quite so…” Reviving his composure, Yusuke pressed a palm against his forehead, then gestured towards the stairs. “Follow me, your bed awaits.”

~~~~~~~~~

After tucking Emiri in and ensuring she was comfortable with Morgana by her side, Yusuke returned to his own room. Even though he wasn’t physically active today, he was rather tired, evident by his desire to rest once his eyes landed upon their bed. Approaching the closet, he changed his garments into sleepwear and noticed Akira’s lack of presence. 

The notion Akira was still in the bath surfaced in his mind as he proceeded to search the ensuite, stepping inside. The moment he did, he saw Akira resting in the tub, immersed in a bubbly foam. With careful steps, he approached and kneeled to reach his partner’s level.

“Don’t fall asleep.” He said, chuckling as he saw Akira perk up and open his eyes. 

“I’m not…” Betrayed by a yawn, Akira sat up, his movements rippling the water. “Is Emiri asleep?”

“Not yet; however, she is comfortable.” 

“That’s good.” Running a wet hand through his hair, Akira exhaled. “Is Morgana with her?”

“Yes, although he complained, believing I’m only kicking him out of our room.” 

“Well, you kind of are…”

“I only requested he stay with her so she’s safe and because she wants him in there.” Yusuke leaned against the bath, a smirk on his lips. “I have no other ulterior motives.”

“Sure you don’t…” Akira laughed into his hand, amused. “You’ve been trying to get him to sleep elsewhere for years now.”

“Oh, don’t act like it’s only me who wants him out. You just don’t have the heart to be honest about it.”

“He’s been sleeping by my side longer than you have. It would be weird to kick him out permanently.” Lifting his knees to his chest, Akira hugged them. “Plus, he’s pretty old now, I want to cherish the time we have left.”

“I know… It’s just irksome to have him yell at us when we express our love. If he was quiet, it’d be easier to tolerate his presence, but he scolds us like we’re children…”

“Well, you won’t have to worry about that tonight.” Reaching out, Akira wrapped his arms around his partner’s neck and pulled him closer. He then caressed, brushed his lips against Yusuke’s, teasing him. 

“H-Hold on,” Yusuke requested, slightly pulling back. “You’re wetting me like this…”

Akira couldn’t help but giggle. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were afraid of a little water.”

“I’m not, I just changed and I don’t really want to again…” 

“Fine.” Akira let him go, only to sink deeper with a sulky expression. “I won’t kiss you then.” He mumbled, blowing bubbles into the water. 

“Y-You are misunderstanding.” To display his intentions, Yusuke grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off. “There, this is what I meant.”

Akira didn’t move, he simply remained, blowing more bubbles into the water.

“You know, you confuse me sometimes… You made a big deal out of showing affection in front of Emiri, then kissed me in front of her mere moments later.”

“I didn’t make a big deal out of it. I was just cautious.” Rubbing his shoulder, Akira released a fatigued sigh. “Once we were given permission, I saw no reason to be anymore. Although, could you imagine being Ann…?”

“Hm? How do you mean?” Yusuke displayed his confusion by tilting his head.

“Imagine you’ve just entrusted your best friends with someone you absolutely cherish, are trapped on a plane and finally hear your phone beep. You believe it’s an update, or dread something bad has happened, only to read ‘ **can we make out in front of your daughter** ’?” The moment he said it, Akira began to burst out into laughter. “Y-You’re unbelievable sometimes!” He wiped away a tear, trying to compose himself. “Are you even from this planet?!”

“I-I…!” Overwhelmed by embarrassment, Yusuke pouted as his face burned. “I did not word it like that at all! B-But...perhaps you’re right. It sounds strange and insensitive when you frame it like that…!”

“Your passion blinded you.”

“It seems so, but...why didn’t you say anything then?! I could’ve mended it if you told me!”

“Because I was hungry and didn’t realise you hadn’t updated her until I saw your messages.”

“That’s not a sufficient excuse!” Jolting to his feet, Yusuke turned to face the door. “I’m going to text her and profusely apologise before matters worsen!” 

“That’s probably a good idea. I want to get out before I turn into a shrivelled up prune anyway.” 

Yusuke rushed out of the ensuite and hurried to his phone charging on the nightstand. He then sat on the bed as he opened up his conversation with Ann and began to apologise for his behaviour. In the background, he heard Akira's muffled laughter. 

“S-Stop laughing at me!” He raised his voice while his fingers desperately slide across the screen. “You’re meant to be my guidance, to prevent these types of situations!”

Akira’s howling didn’t cease, if anything, it increased. 

Ignoring his partner, Yusuke focused on explaining his misconduct and proceeded to give updates on Emiri’s status. It didn’t take long for his screen to fill up with only his messages. The ‘seen’ status didn’t even appear, indicating Ann’s absence or inability to access her phone.

Akira stepped out of the ensuite, dressed in his sleepwear, a T-shirt and shorts. He then approached his partner, giggling under his breath. 

“You forgot your shirt.” He said and dropped it onto Yusuke’s head, only to watch him collapse onto the bed and drape an arm over his eyes. 

“I want to die…”

“Don’t be dramatic.” Akira huffed, moving to sit down near his partner. “Did she reply?”

“No, she hasn’t even seen my messages.” Sulking, Yusuke turned onto his side. “She probably hates me now…”

“Or, more realistically, she fell asleep. Sitting on a plane for hours is pretty exhausting.”

“...I can’t believe I did that without even realising…”

“It’s not that big of a deal. She even answered you as if nothing was wrong.”

“...You’ll have to communicate with them from now on.” Yusuke slid over and wrapped his arms around Akira, hugging and burrowing into his stomach. “I can’t face them after this…”

Akira chuckled, placing his hand into Yusuke’s hair. “What will you do when they come and take Emiri back home?”

“...Hide.”

“Isn’t that a little excessive?”

“No. I feel awful…”

“Aw, come on, we all make mistakes.” Stroking Yusuke’s hair, Akira tried to assure him with a smile. “If that’s the worst you can do, then I must be the worst human being on the planet.” 

Yusuke breathed out, his voice muffling against fabric, “There’s no point dwelling on it, I suppose…” He then sat up and awkwardly scratched his cheek. “I’ll find out if she hates me tomorrow.”

“She won’t, trust me. Ryuji’s done worse and she loves him.” 

“I guess if you compare it to his actions, it doesn’t seem so bad.” 

“T-That’s what assured you…?” 

“Do you want me to cheer up or no?”

“Y-Yes! Cheer up!” 

Yusuke leaned against his partner, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. “You’re so warm…”

A rosy hue began to envelop Akira’s cheek. “A-Am I? I didn’t use hot-”

The sensation of Yusuke’s lips pressing, trailing along his neck ceased his voice. He moaned, basking in the touch until his eyes lock with his partner’s. Yearning for each other, the distance between them diminished as they huffed in joy. Their lips caressed, moved in sync while their fingers intertwined. Slowly, Yusuke pressed his chest against Akira’s, pushing and guiding him to lie down on the bed. He then slid his free hand underneath a shirt, feeling his partner’s bare stomach flinch from his fingertips. 

Akira moaned into the kiss as the heat from his cheeks spread across his face, began to warm his eyelids. He reached down Yusuke’s back, trailed his fingers along his spine until he settled on the waistband of his pants. Slipping his hand inside, he heard Yusuke moan, a sound that delighted him. 

As they touched, expressed their love for one another, a knock resounded from their door. At first, they didn’t hear it, too focused on pleasing the other, but it repeated, bringing Akira back to reality. 

“W-Wait…” He breathed out against Yusuke’s lips. “...Something is hitting the door.”

“It’s probably Morgana.”  
Yusuke tried to resume kissing his partner, but he met a finger instead of lips. 

“Morgana scratches the door and screams, that doesn’t sound like it…”

“A-Alright, let me put my shirt on first…” 

Yusuke slid off Akira, reached for his shirt and pulled it back on. He then nodded, permitting his partner to act.

“Come in!” Akira called out, too tired to answer it properly. He then sat up, rubbing his nape.

The door clicked open and Emiri stepped inside. Clad in light blue cat-printed pyjamas, she held both her plushies, hugging them as she shuffled closer.

“C-Can I sleep in here with you…?”

Confused by the request, the two glanced at each other before offering a reply. 

“Is something wrong?” Akira asked with a gentle tone.

Pressing her feet together, Emiri frowned. “...I-I’m scared.”

“What scares you?” Yusuke questioned, his expression growing concerned. “If something is bothering you, we’ll try our best to fix it.”

“I’d just prefer to sleep with someone tonight…” Her face begged, reminded them of a stray, hungry cat in the rain. “P-Please, just for tonight…”

They looked at each other one last time, agreeing in silence. 

“Alright…” Yusuke gave in and gestured to his side of the bed. “You can sleep here-”

“Yay! Thank you…!” She hurried and climbed onto the bed, crawling in between them. “I promise to not wake you up.”

“Uh, wait, you should rest-”  
Before Yusuke could protest her position any further, Akira helped her get under the covers and moved one of the pillows into the middle. 

“I have to wake up at six o’clock in the morning, so my alarm might wake you.” Akira also slid his legs under the blankets, sitting down next to Emiri. “I’m sorry if it does.” 

“That’s fine. I’ll probably sleep through it.”

Slowly realising he wouldn’t be able to cuddle his partner, Yusuke’s jaw dropped. 

“Wow, your bed is really soft!”

“Is it? I swear the mattress in your room is the same brand…”

“Yours is probably more used. I dunno, it just feels softer.”

“Well, at least it’s comfortable for you.” Akira smiled, only to notice Yusuke staring at them. His head tilted, confused by his lover’s behaviour. “Aren’t you going to get in bed, Yusuke?”

“H-Huh? Oh, yeah…” Yusuke crawled to his side of the bed, then slipped underneath the covers. “...”

“I’ll cook you both a nice dinner tomorrow.”

“Okay!” Emiri grinned and placed her plushies down. “Tonight’s was yummy, but I look forward to your cooking.”

“I look forward to making it for you.” With a joyful expression, Akira reached for the lamp. “I’m going to turn the lights off now, so goodnight everyone.”

“Goodnight!” 

“...Goodnight.” 

The room was enveloped in darkness, a perfect state to rest well in. The blankets rustled as everyone moved, trying to get comfortable. Each of them then settled and closed their eyes, seeking rest. 

Despite his attempts to find comfort, Yusuke couldn’t achieve it. He stared at the wall, contemplating how he could sleep without the touch of his partner. Its absence was rare, besides in the early mornings, but he was always too tired to care then. 

Down the hall, he heard a jingle, the sound of Morgana’s collar until he felt a presence crawl up his legs. The feline then laid down directly on him, regardless of his evasion. He didn’t want to disturb Emiri or Akira by moving, so he eventually yielded, accepting his punishment for kicking Morgana out. 

Releasing a doleful sigh, he lamented over his dilemma and closed his eyes, trying to endure a night of discomfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter updates and status @ https://elnierah.tumblr.com/ ( [Status of Chapters](https://elnierah.tumblr.com/CWO) )
> 
> So, just wanted to explain and give some insight to some of my decisions here. While this fan fiction is set in Japan, I didn't want to use Japanese honorifics too often as they sound, in my opinion, awkward when used too frequently in English. Persona 5, itself, doesn't use them too often and only does so to show the relationship dynamic between characters, so in a way, I'm following that.
> 
> "Ojisan" or "Oji" is the honorific for "Uncle", and since Emiri will be referring to them like this throughout the entire story, I decided to use 'English honorifics' instead. However, "Uncle Yusuke" and "Uncle Akira" sound too long/awkward, in my opinion, so I decided to 'cute-tify'/shorten their names.
> 
> Akira's was pretty easy, since in my opinion, "Aki" is pretty cute, and while this is how they refer to Akihiko in Persona 3, it's not the character's actual name. 
> 
> Yusuke, on the other hand, required some BIG THINK, since "Yu" is one of the Persona 4's protagonists name, it's also the more accepted one, so I didn't want any confusion or overlap. Turns out, Yusuke's name is spelt with two 'u's sometimes in Japanese, usually when they write his name in Hiragana. And that is how, my dumb ass, came to the conclusion that "Yuu", was the answer. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	3. A Navigator's Guidance

Something akin to fur spurred Yusuke from his state of slumber. It reminded him of Akira’s hair, touching his nose ever so softly as his shoulders rose and sank with each breath. 

“Is that you, Akira…?” He murmured with a faint, weary voice. 

The lack of a response caused his eyes to flutter open. His blurry vision cleared with each blink until he saw beady eyes staring directly at him, too close for comfort. His body jerked in surprise, sat up while he tried to process and decipher what it was. Peering down, he realised it was Emiri’s penguin, a mere soft toy. Relief flowed, fell from his lips as a pang of humiliation also arose. 

Surveying the semi-lit room, he noticed Akira’s absence. He must’ve gone to work already. To confirm, Yusuke glanced at the clock, discovering it was eight o’clock in the morning. Permitting a yawn, he stretched his arms over his head, only to catch a glimpse of Emiri in the corner of his eye. 

‘Ah, that’s right. She came in here last night…’

Consumed by a deep sleep, Emiri clung to her panda plushie, her hair dishevelled. She looked peaceful, comfortable as her shoulders slowly rise and fall. With care, Yusuke gently brushed strands of hair from her face, ensuring they didn’t bother or irritate her closed eyes. He then grabbed the penguin and placed it beside her, securing it under her arm. 

To prepare for the day, he carefully crawled out of bed, allowing her to sleep in, and approached the ensuite.

~~~~~~~~~

While she slept, Yusuke tried to progress his painting. He knew he wouldn’t be able to work on it much now that Emiri was here, but he’d take every opportunity he could, at least, until Akira can be her primary guardian. The tutor organised to come over tomorrow, so perhaps he can utilise the free time in a productive way. 

Ann had finally replied to his frantic messages with assurance. She told him she understood and was happy to hear Emiri cheered up over time. Despite her words, Yusuke still felt a pang of guilt for his actions, however, he knew to not dwell on it. It was an honest mistake, one made in a heated moment of passion. 

Two hours of progress didn’t appear to transform his work in any way. The depth, details of his centrepiece were too intricate to display immediately, which was both a curse and a blessing. He’d like to see his work amount to something, to know whether or not he needed to alter a design, but the slow nature of how these elements arose also gave them their complex motif. While he trusted his concept sketches and months of preparation, doubt couldn’t help but fester sometimes. 

It was an emotion he could never separate from his art. Regardless of his effort to appear confident to those around him, he couldn’t convince himself that his self-doubt was a burden not worth heeding to. 

“...Uncle Yuu.”  
A faint, distant voice called out from behind the studio door. His attention strayed from his work as he placed his brush down and stood, hearing his name another time. Quickly, he covered his artwork and scurried outside the room, finding Emiri in the living room.

“Is everything alright?” He asked, approaching her. “I apologise for my delay. I was just cleaning up my studio.”

She turned around, revealing a brush stuck and knotted in a heap of her hair.  
“I can’t get the brush out…” She murmured, a frown on her lips. “Whenever I try, it hurts.”

“O-Oh, my…” His surprise spilled out while he stared at the mass of dishevelled hair on her head. He then kneeled and beckoned her. “Come here, I’ll help you get it out.”

Emiri listened by taking a step forward and lowered her fingers from the handle. As gently as he could, Yusuke began to pull and remove knotted hair from the bristles, however, it was beyond entangled and clung to the poor girl’s scalp, making it difficult not to cause discomfort. 

“O-Ow…!” She groaned and winced from the pain.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can do this without it hurting…” 

Her cries of distress pulled at, stung Yusuke’s heart each time, but he’s never experienced this before, nor knew of a way to remove it without her suffering through it. 

“Hold on a moment.”  
He needed to find another solution as while he managed to untangle some hair, her discomfort would exceed too long with this method. With haste, he reached for his phone and began to research the situation. 

“People recommend you spray conditioner mixed with water on the hair.” He peered at her over his phone, frowning. “Is it okay if I go prepare and try that?”

“Y-Yeah…” She sniffled. “I-I just want it out.”

As soon as permission was granted, he rushed to the bathroom and prepared a spray bottle, mixing the solution until it combined. He then grabbed a thin comb and returned to her side. 

The mixture seemed to help loosen the knot and he used the end of a comb to guide hair from the bristles. Her groans of pain decreased with this method, relieving him. 

“H-How did your hair become like this anyway?” He asked, somewhat confused, and tried to distract her with conversation. 

“I don’t know. I was just brushing it to have a shower and then it got caught. I tried to pull it out but I think I made it worse…” 

“Does this happen often?”

“Um…” Emiri went quiet while she considered it. Her eyes then lit up. “Y-Yeah, I think it’s pretty common, so my parents tie it in a braid before I go to sleep. I forgot to ask you to do that last night, s-sorry…”

“There’s no need for you to apologise.” Yusuke tried to assure her with a smile. “Plus, even if you did ask, I don’t think either of us would know how to since we don’t have experience with long hair. Perhaps I can learn after I get the brush out so we can prevent this.”

“Hn, doesn’t Uncle Aki have pretty curly hair? Wouldn’t his hair become tangled sometimes?” 

“Yes, but not to the same degree yours has. After all, his hair isn’t long enough to be tied into a braid.” 

“O-Oh, right…”

“There,” Yusuke announced as he pulled the brush out and held it up, feeling achieved. “It’s finally out.”

“Yay!” Emiri cheered, only to touch her hair and feel its knotted state. “I-It’s still a clump though…”

“That’s because we have to brush it properly still.” Guiding her tangled hair, Yusuke began to brush it from the bottom and worked his way up. “When you have a knot like this, it’s best to brush it from the ends and then slowly work your way up. At least, that’s what the internet says…”

“Ah… I can’t believe I forgot about that.” She giggled, somewhat embarrassed. “My mum taught me that ages ago.”

“That’s okay. You have a lot going on right now, so it’s understandable.” 

The doorbell rang, causing their focus to shift towards the front door. 

“Uh, is it okay if I answer that?” 

“Sure. I can brush my hair now.”

Yusuke gave her the brush and a quick smile, then made his way towards the entrance. He peered into the intercom’s screen, only to see a figure with familiar bright-orange hair. A groan left his lips as he unlocked and pulled the door open.

Immediately, Futaba waltzed inside with a grin and waved her hand as she moved past him.  
“‘Sup, Inari. I just wanted to know if my commission is done yet.”

Bewildered, Yusuke blinked and shook his head. “First of all, it’s polite to wait for me to invite you inside. Secondly, I told you to stop calling me that, and thirdly, what on earth are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on. Don’t act like you forgot!” She leaned forward and wiggled her finger, displaying her disbelief. “I asked you for a T-shirt design about a month ago, remember?”

“Uh…” Yusuke held his chin and gave it some thought before his head shook once more. “I don’t recall that.”

“W-Wait, really? You’re messing around, right?!”

“No…”

Futaba’s eyes widened behind her thick-framed glasses and her mouth began to twitch. “Y-You…!” She stammered as her hands waved frantically, “I commissioned you for a T-shirt design because it’s Kana’s birthday soon! Are you seriously telling me you haven’t even started it yet?!”

“Er-”

“I can’t believe you, Inari! I specifically asked you a month in advance because I was being considerate of your exhibition, but you haven’t even extended that level of respect towards me!” She began to hyperventilate, holding her head while she winced with despair. “What am I going to do now?! I really wanted to get her a personalised gift, but now that idea is ruined! You’re a jerk! You’re going to make me look like an awful, insensitive, terrible girlfriend that can’t even think outside the box when I desperately tried to!”

“H-Hold on a moment…” Yusuke held his hand up, attempting to placate her. “I’m beginning to recall your request now, however, I’m not certain on whether or not I started it yet.”

“That doesn’t help me at all! How can you treat your customers like this…?!”

He just sighed, shaking his head as his arms crossed. “You’re not a customer if you’re not paying, and I’ve been too busy to work on anything else, that’s why my commissions are closed at the moment.” 

“I understand, that’s why I asked for it before your exhibition!”

“A month in advance wasn’t quick enough. I’ve been preparing my artwork for about two years now and they’re finally reaching completion because I’ve worked on nothing else.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t do it when I asked?!”

“I probably tried to, but you wouldn’t listen.”

“If Akira asked you for something, you’d do it in a heartbeat...” Feigning tears, Futaba sniffled and pouted. “I’m family now, you’re meant to treat me right, but you never do! You’re just an annoying respawn, bullying me whenever you get the chance!”

“Akira wouldn’t ask me for anything as he knows I’m overwhelmed at the moment…” Yusuke reached for and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “But...since you’re acting like a toddler, I’ll see what I can do. If I've drawn a concept, you might be able to take it to another artist and have them finish it.”

“But I asked you because I know what your art looks like…!”

“Alright, alright…” Defeated, he gave in. “I’m not making any promises, however, I’ll see if I can conjure something.”

“Yay!” Futaba cheered, throwing her arms above her head. “I knew I could count on you!”

“Don’t count on me…! I already said I cannot make any promises.”

“Yeah, yeah. Go see if you started it yet.”

Yusuke just shot her a displeased look and turned back into the living room. She followed him, and as they approached his studio, Emiri stepped down the stairs. 

“Uncle Yuu…” She began to speak, only to grow quiet once she noticed Futaba. “I-I don’t know how to turn the shower on.”

“Oh, uh… It’s the control panel beside the faucets. I can turn it on if you’d like.”

“No, that’s okay. I was just confused about which one it was.”  
Emiri returned up the steps, waved, and disappeared back into the bathroom. 

“Hm? Why is she here?” Futaba questioned, lifting an eyebrow. “She barely looked at me…”

“She’s staying with us while Ann and Ryuji are overseas.” Reaching for his studio’s handle, Yusuke pulled it down and opened the door. “She’s occupied at the moment. She’ll probably greet you after.”

“Oooh, that’s right…” She realised as she followed him inside. “Their trip was this week… Now that I think about it, wasn’t it you who initially agreed to look after her instead of Akira?”

“I was the first to agree, yes, but I don’t think that’s because Akira wasn’t willing to.” 

“Still, it’s a bit odd for you to take the initiative.” Impishly grinning, Futaba lifted a hand onto her mouth. “Doesn’t Akira micromanage every detail of your life because you’re so helpless?”

“No, he doesn’t, and if you want your ‘commission’, you better stop insulting me.”

“Aw, come on. I’m just kidding around.”

“Well, I’m not in the mood.” Approaching his desk, Yusuke began searching for a specific folder. 

“How come? Did Akira not shower you in enough affection or something?”

“It’s not that, I just had a poor rest last night.” Yusuke’s eyes averted momentarily. “Although, I suppose that’s because I didn’t have my partner by my side…”

“What? Did he work all night?”

“No. Emiri...came into our room last night and wanted to sleep in between us.” Pulling open a drawer, he ran his finger over a row of folders. “The bed isn’t really comfortable with three people, especially when you add a cat.”

“Ah, so that’s why you’re a grump.” With a devilish smile, Futaba approached the desk and sat down on it as she pulled the tie on her black blouse. “By the way, I would’ve asked for the design digitally so I wouldn’t lose it and could test out multiple shirt printers.”

“What…? Why didn’t you say so before I began searching?”

“Well, it’s kinda obvious.”

“I don’t do shirt designs often, so no, it isn’t.” The presence of footwear caught Yusuke’s attention while he shooed her off the desk. “Take off your boots and get down from there. My workbench isn’t a seat.”

“Oh, right, I forgot about my boots.” Before she hopped down, Futaba kicked her shoes off and poked her tongue out. “A pervert like you just wants to smell my feet, right?”

“I’m not even going to entertain your warped perception of basic house etiquettes.” Yusuke displayed his disapproval by shaking his head and permitting a sigh. “Now, I have to go search my bedroom because that’s where I keep my digital equipment. I’ll be back in a moment, and don’t snoop around.” He then left the studio, rushing to his room and hoping Futaba wouldn’t break anything.

“Finding the unknown is my speciality though…” Futaba mumbled to herself, only to gather and place her boots out of the way. As her posture straightened, her eyes landed on a folder rack, filled with various sketchbooks. 

Curious, she stepped forward and reached for them, pulling out a red-covered sketchbook. She began to flip through the pages, wondering if a draft of her commission was inside.

“Wow, every page is used up…” Her gaze elevated to the rack. “And he has way too many sketchbooks.” Her eyes then lowered back onto the page, only to widen from what she witnessed.

Multiples drawings of Akira in various poses filled the pages, and as she flipped them, the imagery became more suggestive. A warm flush spread throughout her body, gathered and dyed her cheeks red as she knew she shouldn’t be looking at this, but she couldn’t resist turning the page. The clothes that covered his body diminished with each turn and the demeanour he showed became less familiar, a foreign display. Whether or not Yusuke conjured these ideas from reality or his imagination was unknown, but it certainly affirmed her beliefs of his perverted nature. 

The drawings of Akira were now bare, down to a simple sheet concealing his nether region. She gulped as she debated on whether or not she should flip the page. Based on the pattern, the next turn will show more than she wished to witness, would display Akira in a way she never wanted to see. However, curiosity also gnawed away at her, made her question if Yusuke truly would draw his partner like ‘that’. 

As a compromise, she tried to peer under the paper without turning it over, but the image was too blurry. 

“I found your artwork.” Yusuke returned, only to pause once he saw her. “...What are you doing?”

“Aah!” She screamed as her arm swung and tossed the sketchbook into the air. It crashed against the floor, making a faint **thud**. “Y-You scared me!”

“I told you I would return…” 

“You could’ve knocked!” Trying to calm down, she placed a hand over her chest and breathed in deeply. “I-I was, er…” She stammered, her face heating up more. “I was just...looking at some of your art, y-you know, to see if a draft of my commission was in there…”

His brow furrowed, only for him to exhale and approach the sketchbook. “Well, there’s no need to search now.” He grabbed it off the floor, closed it, then placed it back into the rack. “I found your request on a USB, but I still need to colour it.” 

“Wait, so that means you started it, right?”

“Yes. The design is finished, however, it requires colour, unless you don’t want that.”

“I do, so…” Futaba’s eyes strayed towards the red sketchbook, relieved he didn’t realise what she was looking at or didn’t remember the contents of it. “How long will it take you to colour it?”

“The reference you sent me doesn’t have complex tones nor would you want that for a T-shirt print, so…” Yusuke paused, rubbing his chin. “I could complete it today if I dedicate all of my time towards it. Otherwise, three days.” 

“T-Three days? That won’t give me enough time to find a good printer…” Attempting puppy-dog eyes, Futaba stepped closer and clapped, prayed her hands together. “Could you please have it done by tonight? I’ll get Sojiro to cook you some curry as a thank you!”

“Futaba, I’m looking after a nine-year-old. How am I meant to focus when I have those kinds of responsibilities?” 

“Can’t you wait until Akira comes home?”

“That’s too late and I’m not pulling an all-nighter for you, especially when I have to look after Emiri tomorrow.”

“Then...can’t you leave her to her own devices? Nine isn’t too young and I’m sure her toys will distract her or Morgana.”

“No. We promised Ann and Ryuji that’d only happen if an emergency did, this isn’t one. I also won’t half-ass looking after a child.”

“Ugh, you’re impossible!” Futaba pouted, her eyebrows drew together. “Why even mention the fact you can do it by tonight if you actually can’t?!”

“I can, but it requires effort from your end and a favour.” 

“W-What kind…?”

“You need to look after Emiri while I work and teach me how to braid hair.” Yusuke waved his hand in a dismissive manner. “I also don’t want Sojiro’s curry. You should leave him out of this, and I like Akira’s version more.”

“Of course you would, you’re head over heels for that guy…!” She huffed and pressed her fists against her waist. “I don’t know how to look after a kid or really know how to tie a braid, although...I guess I can try if it means having a gift for Kana. You better have it done if I do this because if I commit, and it’s still not done, I’ll send Sojiro over here and tell Akira to break up with you!”

“His parents already tried that, I doubt he’ll listen to you either.” Yusuke pointed at the door with his thumb. “If everything goes as planned, I’m certain I’ll be able to complete it. You just have to uphold your part of the deal. First, I’d like you to teach me how to tie a braid before Emiri finishes in the shower. I suppose I can give you some tips on how to care for her while we do so too.” 

“Er, fine… Lemme’ google it real quick.” Futaba pulled her phone out and began to tap on the screen. 

“You realise I could do that myself, right? If you can’t do this properly-”

“I’m just confirming if my methods are correct, and while you may be able to, I’ll understand the tutorials better since I’ve had long hair all my life.”

“...Fine.”

She slid her phone back into her ripped jeans. “Alright, I understand how to tie one now.” 

“Well…?”

“It’s probably better for you to experience it than an explanation. I had to watch a video to understand.” 

“Emiri is in the shower though…” Yusuke fell silent until his eyes shift to her hair. “Let me use yours then.”

“Eh?! B-But Emiri’s hair is thicker than mine…!”

“That shouldn’t make too much of a difference, and remember, we only have the chance to do this because she’s occupied. I won’t ignore or bother her for your sake.”

“Fine, whatever…” Futaba huffed as she moved past him. “I want to sit down while you learn though so let’s go to the living room.”

Yusuke followed her out of the studio and watched her collapse onto the sofa. He then approached and sat near her.

“You’re taller than you used to be, so you may want to sit on the ground,” He expressed concern, glancing down at the rug. “My arms will also strain because of this angle, which you should want to avoid. It’ll hinder my ability to draw.”

“...You’re an ass.” She groaned and slipped onto the floor, shuffling to sit up against and crush his legs. “Is this better?”

“N-No…” Despite his discomfort, Yusuke reached for her hair and touched the band holding her ponytail together. “Let’s just get this over with. How do I do this?”

“Uh, it’s too hard to explain, so I’m just going to show you with a video.” As she spoke, Futaba pulled out her phone again, found the correct video, and held it up. “Can you see?”

“Yes, but this defeats the purpose of you teaching me.”

“Well, I’m letting you learn with my hair, so not really.”

Yusuke just sighed and shifted his attention towards the video. He tried to follow its instructions by dividing her hair into three sections and crossing them over each other, but her hair tangled, causing him to restart and repeat the process. 

“So...how am I going to distract Emiri while you work? I don’t see her often, so I don’t know how to interact with her well.” 

“Uh,” Her voice distracted him, causing him to restart again. “She enjoys games like you, so perhaps just play something with her until I’m done.”

“I guess I could do that, but if it’s going to be more than a couple of hours, she might get bored or hungry. What would I do then?”

“Akira has prepared some meals for her already and we also have snacks. If she gets bored, maybe play a board game with her or annoy Morgana.”

“Ah, that’s right. You can’t cook.” Impishly, Futaba chuckled. “What if she doesn’t want to do any of that?”

Yusuke groaned under his breath. “If she doesn’t, then listen to what she wants. Just let her decide on what you do.”

“And what if she picks something I don’t like?”

“Then suck it up and do it if you want the artwork.”

A sound, akin to a grumble, escaped Futaba as she leaned back, crushing his legs further. “You’re so mean to me. I don’t understand how Akira can like you when you’re such a grump.”

“Ask him that. You might realise my attitude only becomes like this when someone wants something from me, but whines when I ask for something in return.”

“Hnn…” Her lips twist into a pout. “Do you like looking after Emiri…? Because honestly, I never thought you enjoyed being around children. It’s weird to see you being so...responsible with it.”

“It’s only been one night, but I don’t mind it so far.” Tightening the braid, Yusuke managed to reach the ends of her hair. “Also, do I truly give off the vibe I dislike children? Even Akira was surprised, despite the fact I’ve attended each of Emiri’s birthdays and have bought her my own gift each time.” 

“Well, it’s entirely possible to only like your own children, or nieces and nephews. And yeah, you do give off that vibe.” Futaba spread her legs out and wiggled her foot. “You always complain whenever a baby cries in public or a child is disturbing movies. You even confronted some parents once in a restaurant.” She laughed while recalling it. “Seriously, if Ann and Ryuji didn’t have a kid, I would believe you literally despise each and every child.”

“You’re exaggerating the situation. I was polite when I asked those parents to quieten down and it’s normal to be annoyed by loud, ear-piercing sounds. You’re acting like it’s only me who has a problem, but you also complain about it.”

“Of course I complain, it’s distracting! I would never ask them to be quiet though!”

“I only did that because it was upsetting Emiri, remember? I’ve never confronted anyone for myself.”

“T-True, but I dunno, hating children suits you.”

“I don’t, so get the idea out of your head.” Inspecting the braid, Yusuke nodded, feeling accomplished. “Anyway, it seems I’ve succeeded at tying a braid, I just don’t have another hairband to finish it off.” 

“Oo, let me see.” Futaba elevated her hand onto her hair, touching woven strands. “Hm, you did a pretty good job. It doesn’t feel loose or bulky.” 

“That’s good to hear. I think I understand how to do it now too, so you can have your hair back.”

After Yusuke let go, Futaba stood up, stretching her arms above her head.

“Good, because my legs were starting to hurt…” 

“You sit down for hours a day, yet a mere ten minutes results in your legs hurting?” Yusuke also stood up, shuffling to the side. “More like you have selective pain…” 

“I sit down in a comfortable chair, not on the floor!” 

“Still, you should be used to it.” 

“And you sit on a stool all day, so you should never be allowed to complain about leg pain either!”

“I tend not to.”

“Yeah, right! You-”  
Futaba’s voice trailed off as she heard footsteps climbing down the stairs. Emiri then walked into the living room, clad in a T-shirt and shorts, with a towel on her head. 

“H-Hello…” She mumbled, waving her hand. 

“Ah, hello, Emiri!” Futaba responded with a grin and also waved. “Do you feel better now?”

“...Yeah.”

Yusuke decided to use this moment to explain the situation to her, despite a pang of guilt wishing to halt his tongue. “Unfortunately, I have to work on a commission for Futaba and finish it tonight, which means I won’t be able to look after you properly. Futaba has volunteered to be your guardian while I work, so if you need anything, you can ask her. You can also ask me if it’s important as I’ll only be in my studio, however, she’ll be the one accompanying you.” 

Emiri tilted her head, like she was confused, before her face livened. “O-Oh, okay.”

“Are you alright with that?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind…”

“I’ll be a better, funnier guardian than Yusuke ever could wish to be!” Futaba winked as she struck a confident pose. “You might even want to come back home with me!”

Amused, Emiri huffed and giggled at her antics. 

“I doubt she’ll be interested in eating instant ramen every day…” Yusuke scoffed, only to smile and lift his hand. “I’ll be in my studio then. If you need anything, feel free to knock on the door.” And with that, he walked past them and disappeared down the hall.

“Uh, wait…!” Futaba called out, but it was no use. “Ugh…” She then looked at Emiri and noticed she had a brush in her hand. “Do...you want me to brush your hair? It’ll get knotty if you leave it like that.”

Emiri hesitated and averted her eyes. A smile then formed her lips and she approached. “S-Sure… I didn’t want to risk the brush getting stuck again, so I was going to ask Uncle Yuu to do it.” 

“I’ll do it better than him, promise!”

Futaba patted the sofa and watched Emiri sit down on it. She then sat beside her and guided the towel off her head. 

“Do you know how long Uncle Yuu will be...? N-Not that I don’t want to hang out with you, it’s just...I’m curious.”

Grabbing the brush off her, Futaba slid the bristles through Emiri’s hair, ensuring no knots formed. 

“Uh, a couple of hours, I think. He didn’t give me an exact time, but it shouldn't take too long.”

“What is he working on…? It’s for you, right?”

“Yeah! He’s, uh, colouring a T-shirt design for me.” Futaba gathered and guided Emiri’s hair into a ponytail with the brush. “It’s a birthday gift for my girlfriend, so, unfortunately, we can’t delay it any longer.” 

“Oh!” Emiri’s demeanour brightened, became excited. “How old is your girlfriend?”

“She’s thirty-two, like me! Although, her birthday will make her a year older until I catch up again.”

“What do you plan to do for her birthday?”

“Nothing too extravagant. We’re just going to the movies and her favourite restaurant.”

“Is it going to be just you two?”

“Yeah. She’s not interested in large celebrations and would prefer to spend the day with only me.” 

“Aw…” Slight disappointment defined Emiri’s features. “I thought that maybe you guys could come over and we could all celebrate, but if that’s what she prefers, I hope you have fun.”

Futaba giggled, “I don’t think I should bother Yusuke and Akira anymore. Plus, they’re pretty busy. We’ll be able to meet up at Yusuke’s exhibition so we can wait until then though.”

“Uncle Yuu’s exhibition…?” Tilting her head, Emiri poked her cheek. “What do you mean?”

“Ah, did he not tell you yet?” Futaba slipped a band over Emiri’s ponytail and twisted it over until it secured her hair. “He’s preparing for and has organised an exhibition that’ll only display his artwork, rather than a shared one.” She then smiled as memories came back to her. “...I give him a hard time because he’s a weirdo, but we’re all really proud of him, especially given his past.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard about it, but no one outright told me. When will it be?”

“Uh, I think it’s four or five weeks from now.”

“Will I be able to come…?”

“Yeah, I believe so. I suppose they haven’t told you yet because it’s not very close and they don’t want to overwhelm you.”

“Hopefully I can.” Emiri shuffled on the sofa, shifting to face the television. “Do you want to do something fun now?”

“Hm? Like what?”

“I-I’m not sure…”

“Well, would you like to play a game?” With her index finger, Futaba pointed at a console under the television. “They have a game console and I know you like to play with your mum and dad.”

Emiri’s eyes lit up. “Sure!” She then blinked a couple of times, perplexed. “How do you know where their console is though?”

“I come here and play with Akira sometimes.” Futaba shrugged as a sigh escaped her. “Although, that’s rare now that he’s a ‘responsible’ adult.” She pointed at a shelf filled and organised with video games. “All their games are over there, so feel free to pick out whichever one you want.”

“Okay.” 

Emiri hopped off the sofa and wandered towards the shelf. She then leaned forward and ran her finger along the cases, searching for a co-op game. 

“What’s this…?” She asked as she pulled out a game with a flamboyant cover and held it up.

“O-Oh…” Slight heat gathered and coloured Futaba’s cheeks. “I-It’s a rhythm game.” Embarrassed, her eyes averted while she played with a strand of hair. “Akira...likes all kinds of genres and doesn’t really judge them by the cover, I guess…”

“It looks like something my classmates would enjoy.”

Futaba couldn’t help but laugh. “Y-Yeah, it does look like it’s aimed towards young girls, but it’s a fun game, which is why he probably owns it.”

Satisfied with her answer, Emiri smiled and resumed searching for a game. She eventually found one and brought it over to Futaba. “Would you be interested in this?”

“Eh! I love that game! You have amazing taste!”

“Yay!”  
Emiri cheered and handed her the game. Futaba then grinned and stood up, approaching the console to set it up. Once finished, she returned to the sofa and gave Emiri a controller. 

“You’re...a game developer, right?” The young girl asked as she leaned against the cushions. 

“Yeah, sort of. I specialise in coding, so I help build websites or games.” Futaba also leaned back, setting up the game by navigating menus. “It’s amazing to be able to work from home.”

“That sounds cool! Does Uncle Aki own any of your games?”

“They’re not entirely mine, but yeah, I think he does.” 

“Maybe I’ll play them another day.”

“I’ll look forward to your feedback!”

They grinned at each other, then focused on the game. Time passed on by as they enjoyed each other’s company, working together to achieve their virtual goals. When they succeeded, they high-fived, and when they failed, they’d encouraged one another, trying to motivate each other. 

Morgana waltzed into the living room and jumped on the sofa, curling up into a ball by Emiri’s side. He watched over them, ensuring neither became too excited or rowdy.

~~~~~~~~~

The front door rattled until the lock clicked open. Distracted by the noise, Futaba and Emiri turned their heads, shrugging at each other as they wondered who or what it was. Akira then stepped inside, pushing the door shut. 

“Uncle Aki’s back!” Emiri acknowledged, smiling the moment she saw him.

Another door, from inside, squeaked open, only for Yusuke to walk into the living room. An idea formed in Futaba’s mind once she noticed him, so she stood up and made her way towards Akira.

“Long time no see!” She greeted him, a smirk shaping her lips.

“Oh, hello, Futaba.” Akira returned a quick smile and slid his keys back into his pocket. “I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Eh…?” She pouted. “Do you not want me to be?” 

“That’s not it. I just haven’t seen you for a while, so it’s a pleasant surprise.”

Futaba looked over her shoulder and poked her tongue out at Yusuke. She then took a step forward and pulled Akira into an embrace, clinging onto him. “Aw! It’s a pleasant surprise to see you too! Did you miss me?” She giggled, snuggling into the crook of his neck. 

“U-Uh, sure…” Confused, a light blush coated Akira’s cheeks. “May...I ask what’s up? You’re awfully...affectionate today.”

“I just missed you!”

“She’s trying to make me jealous.” Yusuke sighed, pressing a finger against his forehead as his head shook with disapproval. “It’s not working, so you can stop, Futaba.”

“That’s exactly what someone would say if they were jealous.”

“Are you two bickering again…?” 

“No, he’s just being a meanie, like always.” Futaba slid her foot back, letting go of Akira, and furrowed her brow. “I asked him for a commission months ago because it’s Kana’s birthday present, but he acts like I’m such a burden for doing so.”

“Well, it’s finished, so you can stop complaining.” Yusuke crossed his arms and pressed his lips together. “I also never acted like you were a burden, I’m simply busy at the moment.”

“Are you serious?!” Joy brightened Futaba’s features. “You really finished it?!”

“Yes, but I came out here to greet my partner, so if you don’t mind-”  
Yusuke’s voice drowned out from the sound of Futaba’s hurried footsteps, rushing to his side.

“Show me! I want to see it!”

“In a min-”

“Show me! Show me it, please! I need to make sure it’s perfect for Kana!”

Yusuke grumbled under his breath. “I thought I was a bully…?”

“You’re not, I only like teasing you! Now, can I see it?!”

“I never said you couldn’t. You know where my studio is.”

“No, you have to come, just in case I dislike something.”

“You’re unbelievable…”

“Yeah, yeah, come on!” Futaba grabbed him by the hand and began tugging him towards the studio. “Let’s go!”

Yusuke obliged, despite his intense desire not to. 

Emiri and Akira looked at each other, only to shrug.

“How was your day at work?” She asked, sliding off the sofa.

“Ah, it was fine.” Slipping his shoes off, Akira placed them together and took a step forward. “Have you eaten yet?”

“I had breakfast and some snacks, but that’s about it.”

“Alright, I’ll start cooking dinner after I wash up.” Akira approached her and patted her on the head. “How was your day?”

“It’s been fun so far! Futaba and I have just been playing games while Uncle Yuu works.”

“That sounds nice.” Like he had remembered something, Akira’s expression lit up. “Oh, your parents messaged me and want to know if you'd like to call them? I think it’s midnight over there, but you might be able to catch them before they sleep.”

Absolute joy curled Emiri’s lips. “S-Sure! I hope I don’t wake them up though…”

“If they don’t answer, we can always call them tomorrow morning.” 

Akira pulled out his phone, dialled the number and handed it to her. She grabbed and elevated it to her ear, listening to the call connect. 

“If they respond, I’m going to wash up. Is that okay?”

Emiri nodded and her expression livened more as she heard a familiar voice from the speaker. 

“Hello, mommy!”

He watched her wander back towards the sofa, exchanging pleasantries with her parents. Akira then glanced at Morgana, who returned eye contact.

“Yeah, yeah… I’ll make sure she’s safe,” The cat grumbled, and looked away once Akira gave him a smile.

As Akira made his way towards the bedroom, he heard loud chatter from Yusuke’s studio and saw the door swing open. 

“Yeah, I mean it! It really is perfect! I couldn’t ask for anything else!” Praise and excitement poured from Futaba’s mouth until she noticed him. “Oh! Hello again!”

“I’m glad you like it, but don’t expect me to do this again.” Yusuke then noticed him and stopped, a smile soon forming his lips. “Ah, you’re here to save me.”

“Not really, no,” Akira indulged them, only to point towards the living room. “Emiri is on the phone at the moment and I want to wash up, so could you supervise her a little longer?”

“Sure, but...is something the matter? You seem...occupied.” 

“I’m fine, I just want a shower before I prepare dinner.”

“Alright!” Futaba waved her hand. “We’ll watch over her while you do that!”

“Wait-”

Delaying no longer, Akira turned and climbed up the stairs, disappearing on the second floor.

“...” 

“Oh! Since I’m already here, can I stay over for dinner? I’ve missed Akira’s cooking, and you kind of owe me for messing up my hair.”

“...Sure, however, you must do one more favour for me.”

“Huh?! Are you serious?!” Futaba huffed and pressed her fists against her waist. “What do you want now?!”

“Accompany Emiri while I go talk to Akira. Something is bothering him and I don’t want to leave it…”

“I-I mean, I guess I could do that, but what makes you think something is bothering him? He seems pretty normal to me, though maybe a bit tired.”

“Trust me, I know my partner. He prefers to conceal those matters, especially when we have guests.”

“Fine, go on…” Futaba shooed him away, only to turn around and go back into the living room.

Finally free, Yusuke hurried up the stairs and towards their bedroom. Opening the door, he carefully stepped inside and saw Akira grabbing clothes and a towel from the closet. 

“Akira…” He spoke softly as he approached. “Be honest with me, is something on your mind?”

“Huh?” Akira turned to face him, blinking in surprise. “I thought you were going to supervise Emiri…”

“Futaba is, so we have time to talk.”

“...” Akira exhaled, then placed his clothes atop the towel and set them down on the bed. “It’s just work-related…”

“Did something happen?” To assure his partner, Yusuke took a step forward and touched his arm, caressing his fingers along it. “You know I’ll always listen to your troubles.”

“I’m...just annoyed at my boss. One of our supervisors had to go on leave for surgery, and instead of promoting someone to take his place, he temporarily hired a supervisor from another department.” With a frown, Akira elevated his hand onto Yusuke’s, stroking his fingers. “I know I’m being petty, but it’s disheartening to have it constantly shoved in my face that I’ll never be promoted, no matter how long I stay, hard I work or good I am...”

“...” Saddened by the news, Yusuke guided his partner into an embrace and caressed a hand into his hair. “While I understand your frustration, perhaps your boss didn’t feel the need for a permanent replacement because your supervisor will return once they’ve recovered.”

“I’d believe that if another one of our supervisors wasn’t retiring soon… It just seemed like the perfect chance to pick someone.” Akira slid his arms under Yusuke’s, returning the embrace and nuzzling into his shoulder. “I’m just tired of this…”

“Personally, I think your boss is a jerk already from his past behaviour, but have you actually expressed an interest in taking on a directing role? There’s a lot of people out there that don’t want that kind of responsibility, so I can understand being cautious.” To see his lover’s face, Yusuke leaned back and stroked Akira’s cheek with the back of his fingers. “I’m not trying to put any blame on you, I just want to make sure nothing has been left ambiguous.”

“I feel like I have expressed an interest, especially since I volunteer to guide new-recruits, but because I wondered the same, I decided to talk to my boss about it today. I-It’s also why I’m home earlier, or well, at the time I’m meant to finish.”

“What did he say…?”

Akira sighed and his gaze faltered to the floor. “He...said I was too young.”

“...You’re thirty-four, how is that too young?” Irked by the notion, Yusuke’s brow furrowed. “You’ve also worked there for ten years, you should’ve at least gotten more pay raises!” 

“I know… It was probably an excuse.” Akira’s fingers curled into the fabric of Yusuke’s shirt as he clung onto his arm. “You even earn more than me now… N-Not that I’m ashamed of that! It just...proves I’m stuck in my career even more…”

“I could quit if you want.”

“N-No! Don’t do that!”

Yusuke huffed with amusement. “I’d prefer to see your face light up with surprise than to be sad.” He chuckled, sliding a finger along Akira’s cheek.

“We won’t be able to afford our mortgage or bills if you do that…” A smile soon formed Akira’s lips. “But...talking to you about this has made me feel better. I doubt we could find any solution since it’s not something we can control, however, I...think I’m not going to chase after a promotion anymore.”

“Hm? How do you mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious…? I’m so desperate for a promotion that I’ll stay back or do things my position doesn’t require me to. You’ve even said it yourself, and well, I don’t want to be like that any more, especially if it amounts to nothing. All it does is make me feel bad when my boss promotes someone else, and exhausts me, so we rarely do anything together because you’re too considerate.”

“S-Shouldn’t I be considerate?”

“Sure, but you feel neglected because I work too much, right? It’s why you jumped at the chance of letting Emiri stay, because our lives became too repetitive and boring…”

Yusuke shook his head, assuring his partner. “No, I already told you I don’t feel neglected. I-I will admit, I do miss you sometimes, but that’s probably because I’m a little clingy…” A light blush coloured his cheeks. “Our lives did become a bit...boring, however, that’s not only because of your work. It’s my career too.”

“You’re not clingy,” Akira chuckled and wrapped his arms around his partner’s neck. “And if you are, I don’t mind it at all. I find it very cute.” 

Yusuke smiled, sliding his hand up Akira’s back. “I’m glad you think so, and...if you want to work less, then feel free to do so. I think it would be good for your mental health if you don’t focus on a promotion too.”

“I’ll obviously stay back if there’s an emergency, but I’m not filling out extra reports or whatever my boss wants any more. Maybe it’ll make him realise how much I actually do.”

“Perhaps, and hopefully, it will.” 

Akira leaned forward and kissed Yusuke on the cheek. “Thanks for cheering me up. You’re always so sweet to me.”

“I-I’m happy you think so.” Yusuke returned the kiss, only to halt. His eyes lingered on Akira’s lips, temptation flourishing until he forced his gaze away. He knew that if he kissed his lover properly, he might not be able to stop himself from savouring the sensations, making Futaba wait even longer.

“I’m going to have a shower now, so I’ll see you again once I’m done.” Akira released his grasp and slid his foot back, picking up his clothes. 

“O-Oh, alright. I would accompany you, but that might annoy Futaba.”

Akira chuckled into his hand. “That’s fine. She’s a guest, and we always have tonight.” He then winked, a smirk on his lips.

The hue of Yusuke’s cheeks darkened.  
“You’re...not making this any easier.”

“That’s the point.”  
Before disappearing into the ensuite, Akira blew his partner a kiss. 

Yusuke just shook his head, trying to calm his heart. He then turned and opened the bedroom door, heading back towards the living room.

~~~~~~~~~

Time passed as Akira prepared dinner while the other two accompanied Emiri with a board game. Chatter and sounds of excitement filled the living room, livened the atmosphere with a fun yet competitive aura. 

“Wow, you’re seriously going that way?” Futaba threw a snide comment Yusuke’s way, a sly look on her face. “I guess it’s a good move if you want to lose.”

“I don’t need your commentary.”  
Despite her disapproval, he proceeded to move his board piece along a risky path.

“Sometimes it’s good to leave things to chance, right?” Emiri perked up and rolled the dice over the board. 

“Yes, exactly,” Yusuke agreed, a smile curling his lips.

“Especially if you’re already losing.”

His smile was replaced with a frown, disheartened she had also decided to tease him.

Futaba just chuckled, raised her glass filled with soda and sipped it. 

“...How is Kana doing?” Yusuke tried to change the subject, anything to stop their sharky remarks. 

“Oh, she’s doing good.” Futaba rolled the dice after Emiri moved her piece. “I’ve wanted to ask for a while now, but since I have the chance, is it alright if I bring her to your exhibition?”

“I don’t mind, however, it would’ve been better if you asked sooner. I don’t have an extra free ticket, so I’m going to have to try and get one before the event.”

“If you can’t, that’s fine. We can just pay.” Futaba’s gaze shifted to the young girl. “Although, what about Emiri? Do you have a ticket for her or are you guys planning something else?”

“I already organised one for her, which is why if you told me sooner, I could’ve got one for Kana too.”

“Ah, I see…” 

“So that means I’m allowed to come?” Excitement shaped Emiri’s features, made her grin. “What kind of artwork are you going to display? Will it have a theme?”

Yusuke rolled the dice and moved his board piece before he replied, “Yes, you are, and that’s a surprise. No one knows or is allowed to besides me and my manager. Not even Akira does.”

“Eh? Really? I thought one of you would’ve caved by now.” Futaba finished off her drink, then placed it on the table. “I don’t know how he’s managed to resist for this long. Are you sure he hasn’t sneaked a peek?” 

“He hasn’t as far as I’m aware and I trust that he wouldn’t do so without permission.”

“Maybe I should’ve looked.” Memories of the red sketchbook flooded into Futaba’s mind, dying her cheeks in a deep pink hue. “A-Although, perhaps I’ve seen way more than I should’ve already…” She mumbled under her breath.

“It really isn’t that intriguing. I don’t know why everyone is acting like it’s some rare hidden gem.”

“Because when you hide something, it makes people want to see it even more.”

“Well, you’ll all see it soon, so just be patient.”

After Emiri’s turn, Futaba rolled the dice and proceeded to kick Yusuke out of the game by sending his piece to purgatory. 

“Welp, looks like your risky move just took you out of the game.” She impishly grinned and nudged him. “You’re so bad at this stuff.”

Yusuke let out a groan. “Oh, well. I’m more interested to see who will win out of you two.” He then stood up, stretching his arms over his head. “I’m going to go see how Akira’s doing. You guys can continue without me.” 

“Dinner should be ready soon, right?”

“That’s what I’m going to find out.”  
After a quick wave, Yusuke wandered towards and inside the kitchen, seeing his partner by the stove. 

He approached and wrapped his arms around Akira’s waist, making him jolt with surprise.

“D-Don’t sneak up on me like that…!” He reacted, only to exhale and let out a soft laugh. “Jeez, you do this way too much for it to be a coincidence. Do you like scaring me?”

“I like touching you.” Nuzzling into the back of his partner’s neck, Yusuke couldn’t help but smile. “I thought you would’ve realised since I announced I was coming in here.”

“No, I didn’t hear you…” Lowering his hand, Akira intertwined his fingers with Yusuke’s. “I’m about to dish up, so you can help me if you want.”

“Alright.”

Yusuke released his grip and approached the cabinet, grabbing out bowls. He then offered them to Akira, who spooned curry and rice into each. Yusuke would then place and organise them on the table, setting down the cutlery too. Once finished, he called Futaba and Emiri into the kitchen, informing them dinner was ready. 

Everyone sat down, inspecting their bowls and burning the roof of their mouths from impatience.

“I haven’t had your cooking in such a long time,” Futaba reminisced, blowing on a spoonful of curry. “I’ve missed it! You should really come over and cook for me and Sojiro one day!”

“While that sounds nice, I’m not so sure if Sojiro would like to be upstaged in his own home.” Akira chuckled and pressed the back of the spoon against his chin. “It would probably be better if you came here.”

“Sojiro doesn’t drive anymore though.”

“I could pick him up. I don’t mind.”

“Maybe, but I think that’ll annoy him since you’re implying he’s senile.”

“I’m sure he’ll get over it if he actually wants to visit,” Yusuke chimed in, slightly tilting his head. “Organise it like a normal person if you plan to do so though. Having you show up whenever will affect us more now.”

“As if I’d randomly show up, especially with Sojiro.”

“...You did today.” 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t matter.” Futaba dismissed the notion by waving her hand. “Plus, I’m family. I should be able to visit whenever I want, Inari.” She poked her tongue out, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. 

“I wouldn’t mind if Futaba visited again.” Emiri perked up, smiling. “We could play together.”

“That’s true! Unlike Inari, I’m not a joy-killer.”

“Hm, but I have fun with Uncle Yuu too.”

“See?” After sipping from a glass of water, a brief smirk formed Yusuke’s lips. “Your perspective of me isn’t universal, Futaba.”

“I’m sure she’ll realise after living with you.”

“Anyway…” Akira tried to sway the subject into another direction. “What have you been up to lately, Futaba?”

“Well, besides preparing for Kana’s birthday, I’ve been travelling around a little bit. She wants to go to Gunma for the hot springs, but I’m nervous to leave here. I’ve been trying to slowly get used to unknown territories so we can go.”

“I’m certain you’ll be able to go eventually, especially with her by your side,” Akira assured her with a grin. “Don’t push yourself too hard though. Just go at a pace you’re comfortable with and you’ll get there soon enough.”

“Yeah! Sometimes my anxiety plays up, but once I realise why and how far I’ve come, I feel accomplished and confident to keep on trying!” 

“That’s the spirit.”

“Gunma…? That’s where my university exhibition was,” Yusuke recalled, touching his chin with the back of his finger. “It’s quite a lovely place. I’m certain you’ll enjoy it.”

“Oh, right! You’ve been there before!” Growing excited, Futaba leaned over her bowl. “Are the onsens as good as they say?”

“It was a long time ago, so I don’t remember it properly, but they’re definitely better than the bathhouses here.” Akira took a moment to revive memories, reconsidering the past. “Exploring the place was fun too. It’s nothing like Tokyo, so if you want new scenery, Gunma will deliver.”

“Hm, I don’t really care too much for that, but Kana might enjoy it.”

“Are you only going because she wants to or are you interested too?” Yusuke asked before chewing a mouthful of rice.

“Well, I think a mini-vacation could be good, but yeah, it’s mainly for her. I would take Sojiro with us, but I don’t think he’ll be interested and I believe she wants it to be a date, so...no dads allowed.” She couldn’t help but giggle.

“It was pretty much a date-”

A familiar ringtone interrupted the flow of conversation and caused Akira to reach into his pocket. Taken aback by the name flashing on the screen, he stood up and apologetically raised his hand.

“I have to take this, but feel free to continue on without me.” He then excused himself and left the kitchen.

“...”

“I guess it’s worked-related…?” Futaba’s voice muffled from the spoon in her mouth. “But yeah, some of the food Gunma specialises in interests me too.”

“Probably…” To continue the conversation, Yusuke shifted his gaze to Emiri. “Is there anywhere you’d like to go?” 

“Hm? Oh, uh…” She thought about it as she wiped curry off her face with a napkin. “I want to go to a theme park, they’re pretty fun.”

“Honestly, I thought your parents would’ve taken you by now.”

“T-They have, but I’d like to go again because I couldn’t go on certain rides. Now that I’m taller, I should be able to, right?”

“Ah, the downsides of being short.” A pout twisted Futaba’s lips while she recalled all the times she’s been rejected because of her height. “Seriously, is there any disadvantages of being tall?” She shot a glare Yusuke’s way.

“There’s quite a few.” He shrugged her off. “For example, if Akira was any shorter it’d be difficult to, ...you know, express affection. I also smack my head into door frames because I’m taller than the average height. Oh! It’s hard to fit into small cars, purchase appropriate size mattresses and blankets too.”

Snorting, Futaba began to laugh at his misfortune. She then wiped moisture from her eyelash and impishly grinned. “Why haven’t I witnessed you smacking your head before?! That’d be hilarious to see!”

“Because I’m rather cautious of it…” 

“Er… I used to think like Futaba, but maybe being short isn’t too bad.” Emiri imagined the scenarios, only to scrunch her face up. “I’d like to be at least tall enough to go on every ride though.”

“You’re still young. You’ll have plenty of time to grow, unlike Futaba…”

“Hey! I grew a little bit!”

“Not enough, clearly.”

The rest of their meal continued on with banter and a playful atmosphere. Akira eventually returned to the table and shrugged off their questions as to who called. Enjoying the rest of their dinner, they dropped the subject and move onto something more lighthearted.

~~~~~~~~~

The time for Futaba to leave soon crept up on them after they cleared the table and settled down for the night. Akira offered to drive her home, which she accepted, as he was concerned for her safety and comfort. 

Futaba exchanged farewells with Emiri and gave her a hug, ensuring she felt loved. She also thanked Yusuke again for his artwork and expressed her appreciation. She then left with Akira, waving at them a final time.

While his partner was gone, Yusuke tried to tie Emiri’s hair into a braid. He had to repeat the process a couple of times, but he managed eventually and tucked her into bed as she seemed tired from all the activity of today. 

“Here’s your plushies.” He gently placed them under the covers on each of her sides, ensuring she felt secure. “Morgana’s also in here, so he’ll protect you.”

“Do you…” A yawn interrupted her. “Think Futaba will get home safely?”

“Of course.” He smiled to assure her. “She’s with a police officer, after all.”

“Mm, right…” 

While leaving seemed wise, he knew Emiri preferred him to stay until her eyelids started to droop. 

“Did you enjoy talking to your parents?”

“Yeah…! They couldn’t talk long because they were tired, but they said they were safe and missed me.” She gripped the blanket, wiggling her small feet under the covers. “They also said they’ll bring me back a ton of souvenirs. Oh, they mentioned they’ll buy you guys one too as a thank you.”

“That’s unnecessary of them, however, I do appreciate the thought.” Shifting his position, Yusuke sat on his side by her bed. “I’m glad they’re safe, and hopefully, time will fly on by so you can see them again.”

“Mm, although I might end up missing you guys instead.”

“Well, we aren’t going anywhere, so you’re always welcome here.”

“Yay!” Slowly fluttering her eyes, Emiri released a soft, tired moan. “...C-Could you pat my head, please? It helps calm me…” A light pink, somewhat embarrassed, hue covered her cheeks.

“Of course.” Yusuke obliged, elevating his hand gently onto her head. He then rubbed his thumb in calming, rhythmic motions. “Is this okay?”

“M-Mhm…”  
She allowed her eyes to close, softly breathing as slumber slowly enveloped her. 

Yusuke sat by her side until she fell asleep. He then heard the front door open and close. He remained with her for a while longer, ensuring she wasn’t awake, before he left as carefully and quietly as he could.

Due to his delay, he assumed Akira was already in their bedroom and decided to head there instead. He noticed the door was left open, albeit slightly, and stepped inside. 

The moment his eyes adjusted to the new surroundings, he saw Akira shirtless, changing into his sleepwear. Stifling his desires, Yusuke closed the door as a blush coated his cheeks, alerting his partner with the sound. 

“Ah, there you are,” Akira acknowledged him, a slight smile on his lips. “Is Morgana with Emiri?”

“Yeah. I just tucked her in.” Yusuke approached and reached into the closet. “Did Futaba get home alright?”

“Mm, I walked her to the door and she seemed fine.”

“Aren’t you a gentleman.” 

Amused, Akira huffed. “She’s like a sister to me. Of course I’m going to ensure she’s alright.”

“I wasn’t implying anything less.” Grabbing out his own sleepwear, Yusuke draped the cloth over his arm. “...Who called you during dinner? You seemed too insistent on shrugging it off.”

“...My parents.” Akira pulled his pajama top on, then adjusted it. “I didn’t want to mention it while Futaba was here.”

“O-Oh…” Somewhat surprised, Yusuke blinked. “What did they want…?”

“Nothing in particular. They just wanted to say hello and discuss their visit.” 

“So you told them about Emiri?”

“Yes, I did…” Akira fell silent, his gaze faltering to the floor. “But...I may or may not have lied about the urgency of the situation.”

“How do you mean…?”

“I…” A sigh escaped Akira’s lips as he made eye contact. “I told them Ann’s father passed away and they went to America for his funeral.”

“W-What…?!” Utterly bewildered, Yusuke’s brow furrowed. “Why would you say that? It’s not a mere white lie…”

“I did it because they’d be judgemental and believe I’m prioritising my friends. They’d view the real reason as a selfish desire, that no parent should go overseas for their career, especially without their child.”

“I highly doubt Ann or Ryuji care about what your parents think. They have no right to judge or concern themselves in matters they were never invited in to.”

“It was less for their sake and more for mine. They’d be pissed at me if I altered our plans because of something they view as morally wrong. They might have even cancelled if I told the truth.”

“So what? If they can’t understand the situation with sincerity, then maybe they shouldn’t come.” 

“...You may not be interested in having a relationship with my parents, but I am…” 

Once Yusuke noticed Akira’s forlorn expression, regret coursed through him.

“...I apologise. I didn’t mean to come across as unsympathetic, I just believe lying to appease them isn’t ideal or will lead to a desirable relationship.”

“I know and understand your perspective, but I believe lying will avoid conflict and ultimately satisfy everyone. It’s not like I enjoy doing this, however, I didn’t see another way and went along with whatever came to mind.” 

Yusuke sighed. “...You’ve chosen a permanent lie, so now we all have to pretend her father has passed away. That’s not exactly reasonable to expect.”

“It...shouldn’t be too hard. My parents don’t interact with anyone we know, besides Sojiro, so I think we’ll be okay.”

“Well, I suppose we don’t have much of a choice now.” Sliding his foot back, Yusuke placed his sleepwear down onto the bed. “I don’t agree with your decision, but I’ll play along for your sake.”

“Thank you.” A brief smile formed Akira’s lips. “I appreciate it.”

Yusuke began to change his garments, sliding off fabric and allowing it to slip onto the floor. He then felt hands wrap around his stomach and a presence against his back. 

“It’s alright, Akira,” He reassured.

Akira’s grip only tightened, squeezed. “...That’s not it.”

“Hm?”

“Don’t you remember what I said? We haven’t been able to spend much time together, especially because of last night…”

“Uh,” Yusuke contemplated their interactions until a realisation dawned on him. “O-Oh!” His pale skin livened with a pink hue as he shuffled and turned around to face his partner. “You want physical affection, right?”

“Y-You say that like it’s only me who does…” Sheepishly averting his eyes, Akira blushed. “If you’re too tired, we can just go to sleep. I-I just figured since we couldn’t embrace last night, that maybe you’ll like to tonight…”

“No, I do! I...thought that maybe I was the only one...disappointed that we couldn’t hold each other last night, so I didn’t think you’d want to make up for it.”

“I enjoy having you by my side too, you know?” 

Happy to hear it, Yusuke huffed and leaned forward, gently caressing his lips against Akira’s. They shifted into a more comfortable position, only to hear a knock on the door.

Pressing his forehead against Yusuke’s shoulder, Akira couldn’t help but chuckle. “...I guess it’ll have to wait.”

“Ugh, is this how Ann and Ryuji feel…?” Yusuke sighed out his disappointment, then shuffled to finish getting changed. “...I thought she was asleep.”

“I suppose not.”

“You can let her in now.”

Before he approached the door, Akira leaned over and kissed Yusuke on the cheek, an apologetic look on his face. He then opened it and Emiri waltzed inside.

“S-Sorry, did I wake you?” She questioned, tilting her head as her grasp around the plushies tightened. “I didn’t mean to…”

“No, we were just preparing for bed.” To reach her level, Akira kneeled down. “Is everything okay…?”

“M-Mm, I was just wondering if I could… C-Can I sleep in here? It’ll only be one more night! I promise not to bother you tomorrow!”

Akira looked back at his partner, who shrugged and gave a nod. 

“Sure, but...is there something upsetting you about the room? We’ll try our best to fix it if there is.”

“N-No…” Emiri’s gaze faltered to her feet. “I…just don’t want to be alone…”

“Alright...” Akira gestured towards the bed, smiling to assure her. “Come on in.”

“Thank you…!”  
Emiri rushed into the room and climbed onto the bed, crawling towards her previous spot. 

Another night of slight discomfort and a lack of affection awaited them, but they couldn’t bring themselves to reject her request. She was too adorable and they didn’t wish to break her heart further, even if it meant sacrificing normality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter updates and status @ https://elnierah.tumblr.com/ ( [Status of Chapters](https://elnierah.tumblr.com/CWO) )


	4. Adulthood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter after my hiatus!
> 
> Hope you enjoy! :)

Roused by a night of discomfort, Yusuke sought caffeine first thing in the morning. Clad in a bath gown, he turned on the coffee machine in the kitchen and rubbed sleep from his eyes. His hair was dishevelled from tossing and turning, or at least, from trying to find a comfortable position all night. He’s never felt the effects of his age until his place of rest, his sanctuary, became overcrowded. Morgana’s presence annoyed him enough, and he was only small, not the size of a child, like Emiri.

Unable to resist a yawn, he reached up and grabbed a mug from the cupboard. His attention was then swayed by a familiar pitter-patter sound. Morgana walked into the kitchen, his tail high and a look of discontent on his feline features. 

“Oh, you’re awake too…” Yusuke acknowledged him with a weary sigh. “What do you want to eat?” 

“Sashimi.”

“For breakfast…? No. We don’t even have enough fish.” To prove his point, Yusuke approached the fridge and opened it. “We have some leftover mackerel from last night, so you can have that.”

Morgana growled under his breath, “What’s the point of asking if you’re going to force something on me?” He huffed loudly and jumped up onto the table. “Overnight fish isn’t as good…”

“I don’t have the time, nor the ingredients to prepare you something fresh.” 

Grabbing the leftover mackerel out of the fridge, Yusuke pulled off the plastic wrap and put the plate down onto the floor. 

“Get off the table, you know you aren’t allowed on there,” He shooed the cat, watching his tail sway. “Are you seriously going to misbehave today? Because I’m not in the mood for it.”

“I was just reading the note, jeez…”

“What note…?”

Morgana tipped his head in a certain direction, then jumped off the table and approached the plate. “You must be blind. Aren’t you glad to have me guide you?”

“...” Yusuke ignored him while he grabbed the note and read it.

The hand-writing was Akira’s. He asked if Yusuke could go grocery shopping and purchase some ingredients for dinner. He also reminded the tutor was coming over, and a list of requested ingredients was on the back of the note, indicated by an arrow with a love-heart. 

Curious as to why Akira didn’t simply message him the request, Yusuke stuck the note on the fridge with a magnet, ensuring he didn’t lose it. He then wondered if he should go shopping while the tutor occupied Emiri or take her with him. He’d be able to progress on his painting if the tutor was present, just as he planned, so it may be best to bring Emiri along. He should be able to remain productive on each task if he plans accordingly. 

Satisfied with his idea, he realised the coffee was finished and poured some into his mug. Too impatient for it to cool, he took small sips, resulting in a burnt lip. 

“You know…” Morgana began to talk, his mouth partially full, “It’s really annoying when Emiri switches rooms. I finally get comfortable and then she rushes to your room, causing me to wake up.”

Leaning against the counter, Yusuke shrugged. “You can sleep in her room if you don’t want to move.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Don’t worry, she’s not going to do it again. Last night was the final time it’ll happen.”

“...Do you seriously believe that?”

“She said so herself.”

“And you believe her?”

“Yes.” Confused, Yusuke tilted his head. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because she’s a child and ‘one more night’ is a common excuse kids give all the time. As if you didn’t know that…”

“Well, neither Akira or I have the heart to say no. If it becomes a problem, we’ll discuss it with Ann and Ryuji, but until then, I don’t see a reason to disbelieve her.”

“Talking to those two isn’t going to fix anything, this is a problem you have to confront yourselves.”

“As I said before, we can always get her parents to discuss it with her.”

With a look of disapproval, Morgana scoffed, “Are you serious? How are you going to look after a child if you can’t even talk to her or establish simple boundaries without help?”

“The situation is far more delicate than you’re giving it credit for.” Running a hand through his messy hair, Yusuke groaned. “If this was a simple sleep-over, then yes, you’d have a valid point, but her parents are hours away. The last thing we want to do is upset or make her uncomfortable.” 

“I understand she misses them, but you have to be careful not to install bad habits into her simply because you’re being ‘cautious’. Ann will have to fix all these issues when she comes back if you keep acting slack.” 

“It’s been two nights, you’re exaggerating. I see your point, and respect it, but have you even discussed this with Akira? I’m not the only one looking after her.”

“You’re her primary guardian for this week, it makes sense to discuss it with you first, so no, I haven’t.”

“If you’re truly that passionate about it, we’ll have a conversation when he gets home.” 

Finished with his coffee, Yusuke placed it into the sink and filled it with water.

“Ugh, why do you always hide behind him...?” Frustration defined Morgana’s tone of voice as he jumped back onto the table. “I can never talk to you about something serious without you inviting him into it!”

“He’s her guardian too. It seems appropriate to ‘invite’ him.” Yusuke crossed his arms, his brow furrowing. “Why are you so concerned about this in the first place? We’re not asking you to look after her, so why do you even care?”

“I don’t want Ann to have to pick up after your slack when she returns! She’ll be stressed enough, she doesn’t need her daughter misbehaving too!”

“Do you purposely exclude Ryuji, or is it just a habit of yours…?” Yusuke’s eyes narrow, irritation beginning to course through him. “We aren’t slacking off, so I’d appreciate it if you stopped accusing us of such. We’re trying our best to care for and navigate her situation without pushing her away.”

“How the hell are you going to have a kid of your own if you can’t even look after someone else’s?!”

“What…?” Puzzled by Morgana’s words, Yusuke blinked rapidly. “...Who said we were having kids?”

“I overheard you and Ann talking about it, saying you’ll use Emiri’s stay as a trial!” 

“...You’re mistaken and overheard wrong, Morgana. I never said such things, and we merely discussed the possibility, not actuality.” 

Instead of placating him, Yusuke’s words only flared Morgana’s exasperation and made him glare. 

“So you still don’t know, even after all these years?! How can you be so indecisive and nonchalant all the time about serious matters?!”

“It’s not a subject I should decide or think about purely by myself. Akira’s my lifelong partner, and neither of us have the energy to devote to it right now. There’s a lot to consider for us, and now simply isn’t the time.”

“You’ve been putting it off for years now! I’ll be dead by the time you decide!” Bearing his fangs, Morgana’s face scrunched up with anger. “Have you ever considered that if you keep doing this, you might be unable to have kids at some point?! You’re not getting any younger and the process takes long enough for couples like you!”

“If that happens, I’ll simply live with the consequences.”

“Is this what happens to someone when they don’t have parents to guide them?! They simply become unable to decide on important matters, and allow life to pass them by as if there’s no worth to it?!” 

“...” Yusuke’s nails began to dig into his arm as he fought, resisted his temper. “Why do you even care what I do with my life…?! You’re just a cat, it’s not like you’ll be related or an uncle to our children!”

“I’m trying to help you! As always, you’re ungrateful and think you’re better than me!” 

“Did you even consider if I wanted your advice?! It’s not like you have the experience to back it up in the first place!”

“You’re hopeless…” Morgana muttered and jumped off the table. “Fine! You can let your life rot away, see if I care anymore!” He then huffed and left the kitchen, leaving an intense aura in the air. 

Yusuke simply released a loud exhale, angered but also bewildered by Morgana’s attitude. He suspected Emiri’s stay to bring these subjects up, however, he didn’t think it would be with his cat. Akira and perhaps even his friends made sense, but not an uptight feline. 

“...Who are you talking to?”  
A familiar, weary voice reached Yusuke’s ears, and his eyes shift towards the owner.

“Er… Oh, I was just on the phone.” He stammered, a droplet of sweat running down his cheek. “I’m surprised you’re awake. You usually sleep in…”

Emiri yawned, stretched her arms above her head and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Mm, you were pretty loud, so it woke me up.”

“I apologise, I didn’t intend to get...passionate.” 

“It’s fine.” She shuffled into the kitchen with her slippers on. They dragged along the floor, creating an unpleasant sound. “Tying my hair into a braid stopped it from getting knotty.” She held it up, showing him. “My mum was right!”

“It seems so.” Yusuke gave her a quick smile before reaching upwards and grabbing a bowl from the cupboard. “Would you like some breakfast?”

“Yes, please!” Curious, Emiri grabbed onto the counter and watched his movements. “Do you have any grilled salmon? I want that, and rice too.”

“Unfortunately, no. We have cereal and fruit though.”

“I guess I’ll take the fruit then.”

Yusuke acknowledged her request with a nod, approached the fridge and grabbed out some fruit Akira had already cut up. He then transferred it from the container into her bowl and placed a spoon inside.

“Here you go.”

She took the bowl with both hands and went to sit down at the table. After she wiggled into a comfortable position, she began to eat, prioritising the apples first.

Pouring himself a bowl of cereal, he joined her at the table. “Akira needs some ingredients for dinner tonight, so I was planning to go grocery shopping. Do you want to join me after breakfast?” He asked, watching her avoid pieces of grapefruit.

“Hm? You want to go this early?”

“Well, it’s almost eleven, so that isn’t too early.”

“I don’t mind, but could you maybe buy me some snacks?” Shoving a piece of fruit into her mouth, Emiri continued to speak, “You don’t have much junk food, and while I know I shouldn’t eat too much of it, my parents let me have it occasionally. Like...once a day or something.”

“I suppose you are on holidays… Okay, we can buy you some, but nothing too unhealthy.”

“Really?” A wide grin shaped Emiri’s lips. “Yay! I’ve been craving this certain gummy ever since I got here. I forgot the name of it, but I remember what the packaging looks like, so I should be able to find it.” She began to ramble, unfocused on her breakfast. “It has this cute little tanuki on it with this huge, bushy tail. I’ve never seen one in real life, but the images I’ve seen online and videos on TV make them really adorable. Have you ever seen one and do you like them?”

Yusuke spaced out, believing she was still fixated on the gummies. He then noticed her eager gaze, like she expected a response, and blurted out whatever came to mind, “Huh…? Oh, yeah. I’m sure they taste delicious.”

Horror defined Emiri’s face, her features twisting with disgust and bemusement. “W-What…?! You want to eat them?!”

It didn’t take him long to realise he missed a key part of her question, and while he still had no idea what she asked, he tried to mend the situation, “Uh, I may have misheard you, I’m sorry. Could you repeat the question?”

“I asked if you like tanukis, the animals!” 

“O-Oh…! No, I don’t want to eat one!” Ashamed, Yusuke shook his head, a light pink hue coating his cheeks. “Yes, I do like them. They’re very cute.” He pressed his lips together and exhaled out of embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Emiri. I misunderstood and thought you were talking about the gummies still.”

“...G-Good, or I would’ve ran away with Mona so you didn’t eat him too.”

“I don’t intend to eat any animal, I assure you.”

“Pork and chicken are animals.”

“Well, yes, but I mean animals that don’t come from a farm.”

Scooping up a piece of watermelon, Emiri began to eat again. “Do you think a zoo would have tanukis? I want to see one in person.” As if she had forgotten the misunderstanding, she continued to discuss the animal, “Maybe we can go to the zoo together one day? Even if they don’t have tanukis, I’d like to see other animals too.”

“I believe that would be possible. We can discuss it when Akira gets home, if you’d like.”

“Okay!” She smiled, only to ramble once more, “We also have to find these chocolate biscuits my dad loves. They’re so good, I could live off them!”

Yusuke offered his attention in silence, curious as to why she was so talkative today. He’d occasionally nod to acknowledge her, and focused on his breakfast as he listened to her for the rest of their meal.

~~~~~~~~~

After breakfast, they both washed up and got dressed for the day. Emiri didn’t need any help with her hair this time, so Yusuke allowed her to prepare in peace. He had to wait around as she was conscious of the weather and wanted to change into something more summer-orientated. She ended up in a pair of puffy grey shorts, a light blue blouse and white stockings. Yusuke threw on whatever clean clothes he had, but ensured he didn’t overheat by using a short-sleeved shirt. 

“Are you ready to go now?” He asked, waiting by the door.

“Yeah!” 

Before she hurried over, she patted Morgana on the head. 

“Did I tie my hair right?” She pointed at her bun, wondering if it was secure. “My parents usually do it, but I wanted to try myself today.”

“Yes, it’s very cute,” Yusuke assured her with a smile, then opened the front door. “We have to walk to the shops since Akira took the car, however, it isn’t too far from here. Perhaps a ten or fifteen-minute walk.”

“I don’t mind.” Emiri marched outside, then turned around to face and watch him lock the door. “My dad says a daily walk is good for your health.”

“He’s correct. It’s both healthy for your mind and body.”

Once the door was locked, Yusuke shoved the keys back into his pocket and gestured forward. She heeded by taking a step towards the gate.

“Hey, I noticed we didn’t have much food in the fridge…” She said, only for an impish grin to form her lips. “Would I be right if I thought Uncle Aki couldn’t prepare lunch for us because of that?”

“Yes, but I can always make you something...like a sandwich.”

“Why don’t we eat after we shop? That way, you won’t get in trouble with Uncle Aki.”

“Hm…? What makes you think I’ll be in trouble?”

“Uncle Aki doesn’t want you to cook for me, right? That’s why he always makes dinner when he gets home, even though it’d make more sense for you to since you’re already home. Kinda like my parents do, whoever’s home first cooks.”

“...That’s true, however, I’m allowed to make you food that doesn’t involve cooking.”

“That’s boring though…”

Yusuke grabbed his chin and considered her suggestion until he concluded, “Okay, we can eat out today, especially since you’ve been good. It should be fun too.”

“Yay!” She cheered, victorious. “I’m not used to this area, so you can pick the cafe or restaurant.” She then grabbed his hand and skipped forward, lightly pulling him. “Come on, let’s go!”

“...Emiri?”  
A strange, unknown voice called out to her. Yusuke elevated his gaze to meet the owner’s, who was an unfamiliar woman, clad in a long-sleeved brown blouse and ankle-length skirt. Her attire reminded him of a teacher’s, only for the puzzle pieces to align in his mind.

“Akiyama-sensei?” Emiri mumbled, dumbfounded by her presence.

“I assume you’re her tutor?” Yusuke broke the ice.

“Yes, I am.”

He inspected her further, trying to recall how Ann described her appearance. She had brunette hair tied into a ponytail, hazel eyes and a beauty mark on her cheek. She even looked younger than him, and while he wanted to claim his memory could piece descriptions together to create a full image, he couldn’t anymore, at least, not to the same degree. 

“I thought you’d message me before you arrived.” Glancing down at his watch, he sought the time. “We were on our way to the shops, so I suppose it’s good you didn’t come by to an empty house…”

“I did message you.” The woman reached down and rummaged through her bag until she pulled out her phone. Tapping the screen a couple of times, she turned it around to show him the messages. “Did you not receive them? Because you didn’t respond, I got a little concerned.”

The number atop the messages wasn’t his, in fact, it was Akira’s. 

“That’s not my number.” Placing a hand onto his chest, he introduced himself, “I’m Yusuke, not Akira. Ann should’ve given you two numbers to contact, one being mine.”

“Ooh, that’s what it was for…” She withdrew her phone to her side and apologetically waved her hand. “I’m sorry, I thought the second number was Sakamoto-san’s in case I needed to contact her while she’s overseas. This is purely my mistake.”

“I understand, I’m sure you’re busy.”

“Yes, actually… I’m tutoring quite a few students over the holidays, so I must’ve mixed some of the information up.”

“I see. Well, it’s alright, you needn’t stress.” To assure her, Yusuke smiled.

“Is the number I was contacting your brother’s?” Lifting up her phone, Akiyama held her finger over the screen. “What did you say his name was again? I should correct this in my phone right away.”

Emiri placed her arms by her sides and raised her voice, “Uncle Yuu and Uncle Aki aren’t brothers! They’re boy-”

“Akira! His name is Akira. Er, Kurusu Akira, to be exact.” Yusuke spoke over her, drowning out her voice.

She looked up at him, her brow furrowed in bewilderment.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Is he your roommate?”

“Y-Yeah, something like that…”

After correcting the number, Akiyama placed her phone back into her bag. “Would you like to reschedule so you can go shopping? I didn’t mean to interfere with your plans like this.”

“No, we can delay it and I can work while you tutor Emiri.” Yusuke turned around towards the door and pulled out his keys once more. “You’re not imposing on my plans at all, so don’t worry. Her education is more important.”

“Well, okay then.”

Akiyama pushed the gate aside and stepped onto the property, her shoes clicking against the stone path. 

“I organised some easy tasks for you, Emiri-chan, so you don’t have to worry about being overwhelmed.”

“...Okay.”

Like she was disappointed by the agreement, Emiri followed them into the house, ready to hurry up and complete her homework.

~~~~~~~~~

While the tutor worked with Emiri in her bedroom, Yusuke focused on his painting. He kept the door slightly open so he could hear them if needed, and gave Akiyama a quick tour before they departed. 

His brush stilled onto the canvas, paused as his mind wandered away from his work. Akiyama’s lack of knowledge and ineptitude caught him off guard, however, he didn't know whether it was her own fault or Ann’s. Perhaps it was a mere miscommunication, but the fact she didn’t even know of their relationship tells him Ann omitted details. Maybe she did it for a reason, because of her own insight, or perhaps she didn’t want to decide for them, to allow them to choose whether Akiyama knows or not.

Yusuke didn’t discuss or plan the tutor with Ann, it was purely Akira’s doing, so perhaps his partner knows why or is the reason behind it. Due to the situation’s ambiguity, he didn’t want Emiri to reveal their status, even if he personally didn’t have an issue with it. He’d have to make a mental note to speak with Akira about it, to clear up the confusion. 

It wouldn’t be far-fetched for Akira to not want the tutor to know, since he was rather cautious about who knew and who didn’t. He believes it’ll impact his career, make it more difficult as it’s common for him and his co-workers to shower at bathhouses or the station. The last thing he needs is for them to think he’s a pervert or creep simply because he’s attracted to men, and while that mentality was nothing but mendacious, it was rather commonplace. 

Yusuke, on the other hand, was very nonchalant about it, but he also didn’t pursue a career where intimate teamwork was a defining trait. He worked alone most of the time, and only encountered others’ when he collaborated, taught at the university, sought advertisement or organised an exhibition with a gallery director. Anyone who follows his artwork knows he's in a relationship with a man, since he cited Akira as his muse during interviews, although he never revealed him by name or appearance.

Even though Yusuke understood his partner’s concerns, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. Their home is meant to be a sanctuary, a place uninhibited and unbound by restrictions, so if the tutor wasn’t allowed to know, her presence would shatter their tranquillity. He didn’t want to give up that comfort, even if it was for a couple of hours a week. They may not even encounter each other while she’s there, but the mere principle surged his discontent. 

Just as his grip tightened around the paintbrush, his mind lost to a passionate tangent, his phone began to ring. The sound startled him, caused him to jump and drop his brush down onto the easel. After the haze cleared and he returned to reality, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, only to see the university’s number flashing on the screen.

“Hello?” He answered, his eyebrows curled in confusion.

“Ah, Kitagawa-san? It’s me, Ando. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing well. Thank you for asking…” Yusuke stood up from his stool and began to pace around the room. “If I may ask, is there a reason you called?”

“Yes, actually, there is…” Ando went quiet, only to breath into the phone. “I know you listed yourself as unavailable for this whole week, but Hiraoka-san fell terribly ill, and if I cannot find a replacement for her, we’ll have to cancel all the art classes. I know it’s a lot to ask, and there’s no pressure for you to agree, but could you perhaps come in tomorrow and teach her classes?”

“Um…”  
His initial reaction was to reject, to say he couldn’t, but he recalled the passion in his students' eyes and hesitated to disappoint them. To placate his guilt, he breathed in deeply and mumbled, “I cannot guarantee anything, but I will get back to you with a proper answer later on. I must discuss the possibility first.”

“Okay, thank you for your time. I hope you’ll be able to do it.”

“Mm, goodbye for now.”

The call disconnected. Yusuke lowered his phone and released a sigh, determined to discuss it with Akira first. He knew the probability was low since they already agreed to a set plan, but if the station wasn’t busy, then perhaps Akira could take the day off and look after Emiri instead. He wanted to at least try, even if he doubted the likelihood.

Placing his phone back into his pocket, he grabbed his brush once more and tried to progress. His mind was his worst enemy when it came to applying paint to the canvas, especially now that his responsibility had increased. Procrastinating or stressing over subjects he couldn’t obtain the answer to yet wouldn’t prepare him for the exhibition, so while it was difficult to drown out his overactive mind, he needed to.

~~~~~~~~~

The sound of bristles sliding along the canvas filled his studio until a knock reverberated off his door. A couple of hours passed, lost to his artwork, and it was now time for the tutor to leave. She said her goodbyes, praised Emiri for her progression and organised another day to come by. Emiri was excited to resume their previous task, so once Akiyama was gone, she dragged Yusuke out of the house and used him as her navigator. 

“So… What do you think of her?” She asked while marching beside him, determined to arrive at the store.

“What do I think of whom?” 

In both his hands, Yusuke carried the empty grocery bags. The unpleasant realisation he would have to carry everything dawned on him the moment he grabbed them. Akira usually accompanied him, and if he didn’t, he’d leave the car. Perhaps he merely thought Yusuke would focus on the listed ingredients, and he’d be right if Emiri wasn’t staying over. It seems his partner didn’t truly know how persuasive the little girl could be.

“My tutor.”

“Oh… She’s alright, I guess.”

“...” Emiri pouted her lips and looked up at him with concern. “You seem busy… Is something wrong?”

“Huh? N-No, nothing is wrong.” Yusuke shook his head to assure her. “I’m just...dreading something inevitable.”

“Like what?”

“Let’s just say, I’m glad I painted before we went shopping.” 

Unable to comprehend what he was alluding to, Emiri just huffed to act as if she did. 

“Do you think people will believe you’re my dad?” She moved her hands behind her back, intertwining her fingers. “We don’t look the same, but not everyone looks like their parents, right?”

“Not everyone, no. However, you do.” Yusuke allowed his eyes to wander towards the afternoon sky, troubled by whether or not they’ll get home before dark. “You appear as though your parents merged together and created you.”

“Is that how babies are born? You merge?”

“Uhh… Sure, yeah, something like that…” 

Emiri’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Really?! Like how those heroes merge together to get more power?!”

Yusuke gulped, uncomfortable and embarrassed by where the subject was going. “This, is, er…s-something you should discuss with your parents.” His cheeks dyed in a light pink hue, slight heat coursing through his body.

“They won’t tell me. They keep saying I will learn when I’m older and ready to know.” She scrunched up her face, only to smile. “You’re the first person to give me any information about it, so thanks!”

Yusuke muttered under his breath, “...Fuck.”

“Did you just curse?” 

“No, I would never…!” He waved his hand, the grocery bags swaying with his movements. “I am far too eloquent to resort to such primitive language.”

Emiri just stared at him, a droplet of sweat sliding down his cheek.

“A-Anyway! Enough about this. Did you enjoy your time with Akiyama-san?”

“She’s nice, but makes me study too much.” 

“Studying is important. You’ll thank her and your parents for helping you obtain your dream job one day.”

“I know that, it’s just...I dunno. I feel like I’m just another student to her, not really a person. I feel like that with most of my teachers, honestly…”

“That’s unfortunate… Do you have any teachers that support you both academically and emotionally?”

“Mm, my homeroom teacher does, but I won’t have her next year.” Scratching her cheek, Emiri exhaled and focused her gaze on him. “Do you treat your students like that? Like...do you let them get close to you and share your life with them?”

Yusuke thought about it, only to arrive at an unpleasant conclusion. “Honestly, I keep the subject purely on art, so no, I don’t share my life with them. When they wish to speak to me about their own, I’ll gladly listen, but I don’t divulge or ask for that information.”

“I see…” 

“Maybe I should though.” A determined yet concerned smile curled Yusuke’s lips. “It would make them happy, right?”

“I think it would, yeah. If a teacher doesn’t want to share anything about their own life, I believe it makes them unapproachable and sometimes even scary, so if you do it, they might trust you more.”

“Wouldn’t it be rather strange for me though? I’ve acted this way for years, if I suddenly change, won’t it make them uncomfortable?”

“Yeah, I guess it would…” Emiri put a finger on her chin, deep in thought until her eyes lit up with a solution. “You can just do it gradually, right? Like, don’t suddenly start screaming about how cute Mona is, but tell them you have a cat and love him dearly. M-Maybe even show them pictures!”

“Morgana…?” Recalling the feline reminded him of their fight, and while he was still irritated by it, he didn’t see Morgana in the house when they left. “I suppose I could do that. They might be a dog person though.”

“Then maybe talk about Uncle Aki? I’m sure dating a police officer will make them think you have some interesting crime stories like those mystery novels!”

“Or, they’ll hate cops and avoid me.”

“Hnn…!” Emiri groaned, clenched her hands into fists and pouted. “You know, you’re really n-negative sometimes!”

“I apologise. I don’t mean to be, I suppose I’m simply concerned…” Yusuke freed one of his hands and reached for his neck, massaging it. “I guess I’m not used to opening up to other people, so my mind jumps to the worst scenario whenever I consider it.”

“M-Maybe I’m being too harsh on you… It can be very scary sometimes, so I know how you feel.” To try and cheer him up, Emiri pulled on her cheeks and grinned, causing her mouth to widen to an absurd degree. “We can tackle it as a team!”

Yusuke chuckled at her antics, then patted her on the head.

“Thank you, Emiri.”  
He smiled, and they both stopped walking.

“No problem!” She giggled as his hand lifted from her head.

“We’ve arrived...” Yusuke shifted his gaze towards the shopping centre and gestured. “Come on, let’s grab some groceries and eat lunch afterwards.”

“Yay! Okay, let’s march!”

She sprinted towards the entrance, causing Yusuke to call out to her and quicken his pace to catch up.

~~~~~~~~~

Food packages crumpled as Emiri threw more and more into the basket, causing its weight to increase. Whenever she spotted a strange design, she’d point it out to Yusuke and question why the manufacturer thought it was a good idea. Sometimes, it’d even piqued her interest and she’d ask if they could buy it. Yusuke didn’t decline any of her requests, however, a part of him wished he did as the basket was almost full with nothing but sweets.

He managed to lure her to the fruit and vegetable section, a place she wouldn’t wander off in. 

“Do you want to pick them out?”  
His eyes shift to her as he waited near the apple stand.

“Okay!” She perked up and took a step, inspecting the apples. “I think this one is good.” Reaching forward, she grabbed one and showed it to him.

“We need more than one, so you can grab a couple-”

“Oh, hello.”  
A familiar, cheerful voice came from behind Yusuke. He turned around, only to see Haru with a bag, and a smile on her face.

“I thought it was you.” Her grin brightened and her shoulders elevated slightly. “You have quite a unique appearance, after all.”

“Good evening, Haru,” He greeted her, replicating her smile. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Mm, I just needed some spices for a dessert I’m making Makoto tonight.” Her eyes shift to his basket. “I assume you’re shopping too?”

“Yes. Akira needed some ingredients for dinner, and, well…”

“I see…” She then noticed Emiri behind him and crouched slightly to wave at her. “Hello! How are you today, Emiri?”

The young girl shuffled behind Yusuke’s leg and used it as a shield, gripping onto his pants. 

“Do you not remember me…?”

“I doubt that’s the case. She’s merely shy at the moment.” Yusuke lowered and placed his hand onto her shoulder, trying to encourage her. “Go on, say hello to Haru.”

“No, it’s okay. I understand.” Haru assured them and brushed a strand of curly hair behind her ear. “How are you and Akira handling everything? Do you enjoy having a little one around?”

“Mm, even though it’s a new experience, it’s been fun, right, Emiri?”

“Y-Yeah, it has…”

“Well, if any of you need help, please feel free to call me. I’d love to spend time with Emiri, so if anything comes up, let me know and I’ll be right there.”

“Thank you, Haru.” Yusuke displayed his gratitude with a grin, only to recall something. “Oh, hey, Emiri, why don’t you go and grab some peaches for me?” He pointed at a nearby stand. “You’re good at picking out quality fruit and it’s right over there, so I’ll be able to watch you still.”

“...O-Okay.”  
Emiri released his garments and wandered towards the stand, heeding his request. She was close enough that he could keep an eye on her, but far enough she wouldn’t hear them due to the store’s music.

Haru’s gaze followed the girl until she made eye contact with him. “Is something on your mind?”

“Actually, yes. I received a phone call from the university today and they informed me the art teacher is sick. They asked if I could teach instead because if I can’t, they’ll have to cancel all the classes. I told them to give me time to consider it because I plan to discuss it with Akira, but...I doubt he’ll be able to take the day off. I don’t want to disappoint or hold my students back, however, Emiri is more important…” Realising he was rambling, he wrapped up his request, “To get to the point, I was wondering if you could look after her? I still want to talk to Akira before we decide, but I figured since you offered…”

“What time will it be?”

“I’ll most likely have to teach all of the classes, so...from nine in the morning to three o’clock in the afternoon. Akira generally finishes between four and six, depending on what happens at the station.”

Haru placed a finger on her chin and her head tilted. “I should be able to do it. Just let me know once you’ve discussed it with Akira.” Her eyes then lit up. “Oh, do you want me to stay at your place or take her to mine?”

“I don’t mind if you stay at ours, however, it might be wise to let Emiri decide.”

“That’s a good idea, actually.” Her lips curled, joy defining her features. “I’m happy to help, whichever way you need me to. Ah, I also have some fresh vegetables from my garden for Akira, so I can bring them over if you’d like.” 

“Thank you, that would be lovely.” Yusuke bowed his head, showing his gratitude once more. “I’ll contact you later once I find out what Akira’s thoughts on the matter are.”

“Sure!” Catching a glimpse of her watch, Haru’s face turned to surprise. “I hate to cut our conversation short, but I really have to get home.”

He shook his head to assure her. “That’s fine. You’ve done enough for me simply by offering your aid.” He then elevated his hand, waving. “I’ll speak to you later, and update you as soon as I can.”

Haru nodded, waved her hand and offered her regards to Emiri. She then disappeared into an aisle, determined to finish her shop. Once she was out of sight, Yusuke returned to Emiri’s side, complimenting her choice of peaches.

~~~~~~~~~

Just as he promised, they travelled to a nearby cafe after they purchased the groceries. All of the shopping bags released from his grip the moment they found a seat. He dreaded having to carry them all the way home without a drop of aid. Emiri was too small for him to burden, and while she may be able to carry one, he didn’t even want to ask her for that. He’d simply have to tolerate it, grin and bear it for the sake of everyone.

Utilising their moment of rest, he ordered a drink and meal for them both, guided by Emiri’s requests. His eyes then wander around the cafe, analysing his surroundings. Mahogany wood structured the building, giving it a cozy and warm atmosphere. Dim lights hung from the roof and walls, highlighting the pale tables and chairs. Various plant life, from flowers to vines embellished the place too, strengthened by their natural appearance.

“Uncle Yuu…?”  
Emiri called his name, snapping him out of his trance.

“...Y-Yes?”

He turned to look at her, somewhat confused.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Certainly-”

“Here is your order!” A waiter approached their table without being noticed, a cheerful aura surrounding him. He gently placed their plates and drinks down, a smile never leaving his face. “Would you like anything else?”

“No, that’s all. Thank you.”

Yusuke acknowledged him with a quick smile. The waiter then nodded, bowed his head and walked away, granting them privacy once more.

“Wow! It looks so good!” Immediately, Emiri pulled her banana milkshake close and took a sip from the paper straw. “Ah, it’s delicious!” 

Yusuke just chuckled, happy to hear her enjoyment. He then touched his cup of coffee, checking its temperature.

Focused on her food, Emiri began to munch on a handful of fries while she waited for her cheeseburger to cool. “Who…-” She swallowed. “Goes to a cafe only to buy a sandwich? Shouldn’t you get something you can’t make at home?”

“It’s a chicken panini, which isn’t something we can make at home, at least, not properly.” Resting his chin onto his palm, Yusuke huffed. “Is that what you wanted to ask me?”

“No.” Her head shook. “I wanted to ask… Why did you stop me from telling Akiyama-sensei that Uncle Aki is your boyfriend…?”

Caught off guard, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind, “D-Did I?” He then reached for his neck, nervously rubbing it. 

“Yeah, you said he was your roommate…”

To hide his anxiety, Yusuke avoided her gaze, contemplating on whether or not he should be truthful. He personally had no issue being honest, but she wasn’t his child and he wanted to respect her parents' decisions. They’ve never discussed this subject, so he didn’t know how Ann or Ryuji felt about her knowing. He didn’t see any reason as to why they’d have an issue with it, however, Akira’s caution made him reluctant to act.

“I...wanted to ensure it was okay with Akira first.” Committed to his decision, he continued, “I’m sure you’ve noticed some people can be...awkward about same-sex relationships, and because your mother didn’t tell her, I thought that maybe there was a reason why she didn’t know.”

“Oh, I see.” She nibbled on a fry, her eyes faltering to her lap. “...I’m sorry if I made things harder on you.”

“No, you didn’t at all, Emiri.” He smiled to assure her. “I’m merely being cautious because I didn’t organise your tutor, Akira and your mother did.”

“Akiyama-sensei is nice, so I don’t think she’ll have a problem with it, but I’ll keep my lips sealed. Promise!” She perked up and grinned in return. “If she finds out and is mean about it, I’ll lecture her like she does to me sometimes. You can rely on me!”

“That’s very sweet of you. Thank you.” 

Emiri giggled, satisfied with his answer. She then picked up her cheeseburger with both hands and took a bite, squealing in delight from its delicious flavour. 

“Actually, there’s something I want to ask you too…” Yusuke followed her lead by grabbing his own sandwich and began to eat as well. Due to the good nature of their conversation, he thought that perhaps he could approach the subject of her sleeping arrangements. “Are you planning to sleep in your own room tonight? I’m sure your plushies would be more comfortable since they tend to...fall off the bed.”

Focused on her food, Emiri merely shrugged.

“...Is it common for you to sleep with your parents at home?”

Even though he personally had no issue with it, Morgana had a point. He didn’t want to teach her poor habits simply because they didn’t have the heart to say no. Ann and Ryuji will be stressed enough once they arrive home, they shouldn’t worsen it with their negligence.

“I used to.” Chewing on a piece of potato, she spoke with her mouth full, “They made me sleep in my own room once I turned five though…” 

“So...you’ve only been sleeping in your room for three years then?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“...” 

Three years wasn’t a long time, and while he didn’t wish to question Ann or Ryuji’s parenting, she seems to have reverted due to the new territory. Perhaps once she becomes more comfortable, she’ll return to her room, but that could take weeks. He considered it more, thought of a way to navigate the situation without aggravating her but also not hindering her progress. 

“Now that you’re getting bigger, your body will thank you for the additional space.”  
First, he tried to encourage her with biology. 

“But...you and Uncle Aki sleep together. My parents do too, so if that was true, why aren’t you in separate beds?”

“Uh…” Requiring a moment to think, a droplet of sweat ran down Yusuke’s cheek. “Well, our beds are designed for two people, so it isn’t a problem. When you add a third person though, it makes it less spacious and hinders your ability to move.”

Emiri’s brow furrowed and her lips pouted, seemingly upset. “Fine…” She weakly murmured, staring down at her shoes. “...I won’t bother you anymore.”

His heart stung, felt as if it was being stabbed by countless knives. Her expression destroyed him, intensified his guilt and made him cave under the weight of his actions.

“I-It’s not that I dislike you being in there, it’s just…” He sighed, scratching his neck. “We put a lot of effort into your room and we were hoping you’d like and use it…”

“I do like it, I just prefer to sleep with an adult nearby. It makes me comfortable.”

“I understand that, I truly do, but...at some point, you have to learn how to be comfortable alone. It’ll permit you privacy and help you maintain a healthy sleeping pattern.”

“...” Emiri pulled her drink close and rubbed her fingers along the cold glass. “Why do I have to learn how to be comfortable alone when mommy and daddy will always be around?”

“Well, don’t you want privacy? There’s plenty of things I don’t want my-...” Yusuke’s words trailed off, choked by the reality of his differing circumstances. Truly, he couldn’t relate to Emiri because he lacked the normality of having a family, of having parents. He acquired a taste of what it’s like with Madarame, but even that was unusual, something none would desire. 

“I don’t really need privacy, but I guess it could be good to have.”

“How about we make a deal then?” Brushing his sombre thoughts aside, Yusuke focused on his goal. “From now on, why don’t you try to sleep in your room for an hour, and if you’re unable to, you can come to our room, no questions asked.”

“So...you want me to stay in my room for an hour, and if I can’t sleep, I can sleep in your bed?”

“Yes, but you should try to sleep in your own bed for an hour before you come to ours.”

Emiri considered it, tapping a finger against her drink until her eyes lit up. “Okay, I can try that,” She agreed, a slight grin on her lips. “But you have to promise you’ll follow the deal too.”

“I promise. You don’t have to worry about me tricking you or anything. I simply don’t have the heart to do so.” 

“Although, what happens if I try and you fall asleep during the hour? You won’t be able to let me in…”

“You can just come in and wiggle in between us. I’ll leave the door unlocked.”

“Okay!”

“Now, why don’t we finished up here and head home?” Yusuke glanced at his barely-touched sandwich and picked it up once more. “Your food will get cold if we delay any longer.”

“Mm!” Emiri agreed with a cheerful hum, then began to devour the remains of her meal.

~~~~~~~~~

The walk home was rather arduous for Yusuke, just as he dreaded. Emiri noticed him struggle, so she offered to carry a bag, which he gladly gave her. His hands were raw by the time they stepped onto their property, chafed and inflamed by all the shopping bags. He had to release them to unlock the door, much to his relief, but as his eyes scan the front yard, he noticed their car was in the driveway. 

He lost track of time, and while he was curious as to what it was, he focused on getting inside the house first. Emiri held the door open for him as he dragged the bags inside and he expressed his gratitude with a smile. He pulled them all the way to the kitchen, tolerating the pain for a little longer, and dropped them the moment he could.

Sighing out of relief, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and felt Emiri push past him, confused as to why.

“Uncle Aki!” She exclaimed, bewildering him even more.

“Hm?” He elevated his gaze, only to notice Akira standing near the counter, cutting up vegetables.

“Oh, hello.” Akira acknowledged them, a smile on his lips. He set the knife down onto the cutting board and turned to face them. “You’re home rather late.”

“We went out for lunch!” Emiri approached him, only to glance up at the counter. “Are you cooking?”

“I was just preparing the ingredients we had.” His eyes shift to the shopping bags. “I assume you grabbed what I needed? Thank you very much.”

“Yeah! I picked out the freshest ingredients I could!” 

To display his gratitude, Akira rubbed the top of her head, ruffling her hair slightly. His gaze then focused on Yusuke. “Why are you just standing there?” He huffed out of amusement. “It’s like you’ve seen a ghost…”

“Ah, sorry… I just didn’t expect you to be home yet.” Yusuke approached as well, uncertain as to why. “I can help you prepare dinner if you’d like.”

“No, it’s okay. You’ve helped me enough today.” To express his appreciation, Akira took a step, leaned and kissed Yusuke on the lips. “You should go rest.”

“E-Eh…?” A red hue enveloped Yusuke’s cheeks, somewhat embarrassed by Emiri’s presence. “But...you worked today.”

“So?” Akira glanced over his partner’s shoulder, at the shopping bags. “I’m certain that couldn’t have been easy to carry.”

“I can help Uncle Aki!” Emiri perked up, determined to lend her aid. “That way, Uncle Yuu can rest and I can tell Uncle Aki how our day went!”

“That’s a good idea, actually.” Akira agreed with a grin. “I can teach you how to peel potatoes and cut some carrots.”

“Alright then…” Glancing down at his hands, Yusuke yielded, believing he should let them rest. “What are you making anyway?”

“Beef and potato stew, with miso soup and brown rice.”

“Isn’t it a little warm for that…?”

“Is my curry a summer dish?”

“D-Duly noted…”

“Hnn,” Emiri groaned out of disgust. “Does it really have to be brown rice? I don’t like it, white rice is so much better.”

“I suppose I can swap it out, but I asked Yusuke to buy it specifically for this.”

“I’m fine with changing it. Emiri has to eat, after all.”

“Okay, I’ll do that then.”

“Yay! Thank you!” Emiri turned to face the counter and placed her hands on it. “Let’s get to work!”

“Sure!” Akira huffed out an agreement, then began to instruct her on what tasks needed to be done.

Yusuke noted his presence wasn’t needed anymore, so he decided to rest in the living room, trying to resist his temptation to help. While relaxing, he noticed Morgana wasn’t in his usual spot. He recalled their argument, and while he was still annoyed by his snide remarks, he said some harsh things too. He didn’t want their disagreement to drag out, to create a tense and animosity-filled atmosphere, so to bury the hatchet, he searched for the feline, intending to apologise. 

First, he looked in their bedroom, but Morgana wasn’t in there. He then explored Emiri’s, and even tried the bathroom, however, the feline wasn’t there either. His last resort was the backyard, and while he surveyed the area, struggling to see through the dark, he caught a glimpse of fur sitting on the outdoor chair. 

He approached the cat and sat down on the chair beside him. 

“Good evening…”  
He tried to extend out a branch, but Morgana ignored him.

Sighing, he left the pleasantries behind. “I apologise for this morning. I now know you were only trying to help, and instead of dismissing you, I should’ve considered your advice.” He draped his arms over his knees, staring up at the starry sky. “Navigating this situation has just been...hard, so when you accuse me of being slack, I can’t help but regret and believe I’m incapable of doing this…”

“...” Morgana stretched his body before shifting to sit on his hind-legs. “...I’m sorry too. Maybe I shouldn’t give unsolicited advice, but I can’t help it sometimes.”

“I understand, sometimes you just want to guide people you believe are lost. I know you don’t have any ill-intentions by doing so.” 

“Yeah… That’s right! I’m just naturally a helpful guy!” Morgana smiled, despite his feline features making it look like he was baring his teeth. “Even though you may not think so, if you guys decide to have kids, it will affect me to a degree. Maybe it won’t as much as you or Akira, but I’ll have to deal with all that crying too or a child who doesn’t respect animals.” 

“I’m aware of that now. I was being...self-absorbed this morning, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I...shouldn’t have brought up how you were raised. I was just hurt and wanted to make you feel the same way… I’m sorry too, again.”

Shifting his hand onto his neck, Yusuke smiled weakly. “It’s fine, you were probably onto something I’ve never considered… I’ve never had parents to push or pressure me to consider what I want in life besides art. I simply follow my feelings, but if they’re complicated, I become indecisive and never think about it beyond a surface level.” 

“No, what I said holds no merit.” Morgana shook his head. “Akira has parents who pressure him, who want grandchildren, but he still doesn’t know if he truly wants it himself. I just think it’s a difficult subject, especially for you guys.”

Yusuke’s smile turned genuine and he shifted his hand onto Morgana's head, patting it gently. 

“I promise to discuss it with him when I get the chance. I also want to put the subject to rest instead of leaving it up in the air.”

“Good. It’s tiresome stressing over it, you know?”

“Mm, although, I thought you weren’t an animal.”

“Huh?”

“You said you’ll have to deal with our child not respecting animals, but you’re not one, right?”

“O-Of course I’m not! T-That’s just what I look like in this world!” 

Yusuke chuckled, amused by the tone of Morgana’s voice. “Well, I should head back inside in case Akira needs me.” He then stood up, rubbing his shoulder.

“Okay. Make sure he leaves me some leftover fish.”

“Of course.” Yusuke gave Morgana another pat before a question popped into his mind. “Uh, actually, before I go… Did you talk to Akira about this?”

“No, why?”

“Do you want to?”

“Nah, just make sure you have that discussion.”

“Alright then.”

Excusing himself, Yusuke went back inside and headed to the living room.

~~~~~~~~~

In the comfort of a soft sofa, Yusuke watched TV until Emiri joined him. She finished helping Akira in the kitchen and even put away the groceries. Due to the time, she asked if she could watch her favourite show, so he gave her the remote, allowing her to watch whatever she wished to. 

He watched it with her until he remembered he needed to discuss his work with Akira. He excused himself and got up, heading towards the kitchen. Once inside, he saw his partner drying a plate with a cloth. 

“Hey,” He announced his presence, ensuring he didn’t scare him again. 

“Oh, hi.” Akira glanced at him with a grin, only to set the plate down and approach. “How are your hands?”

“Uh, they’re okay… How do you know they hurt?”

“I saw you dragging the shopping bags like they were hand weights.” Gently, Akira grabbed one of Yusuke’s hands and planted a kiss on his palm. “I’ll heal you with my love.” He giggled, the tone of his voice somewhat flirtatious.

“I’d love that, but...there’s something I have to discuss with you first.”

“Hm? What’s up?”

“Well, there’s...multiples subjects I must discuss with you, however, I’ll focus on the most urgent.”

“Does it require privacy? Because while I’m certain she’s not listening to us, it might be a good idea to go up to our room.”

“Um, it’s not necessary, but perhaps we should, yes.”

Intertwining his fingers with Yusuke’s, Akira guided him out of the kitchen until he temporarily stopped to acknowledge Emiri.

“Uncle Yuu and I are going to have a little chat upstairs, we’ll be back soon.”

Emiri’s gaze remained on the TV, but she responded with a nod. “Okay.”

Akira continued to guide his partner up the steps and down the hallway.

“Uh, maybe I should've asked sooner, but what about dinner? Is it alright if you leave it unattended?”

“Yeah, it’s just simmering now.”

Akira pushed open their bedroom door and closed it once they both stepped inside. 

“So...what’s up?” He asked, releasing Yusuke’s hand.

“It’s about work.”

While Yusuke explained the situation, Akira leaned against the end of their bed,

“I received a call from the university today and they asked if I could work tomorrow. Hiraoka has fallen terribly ill, and if they cannot find a replacement, they’ll have to cancel all the art classes. I...didn’t want to disappoint my students, so I asked my manager if I could think it over, and while I know you probably won’t be able to take the day off, I think I’ve found another solution.” Ensuring his partner was listening, he continued, “I ran into Haru while Emiri and I were shopping. She offered to look after Emiri so I asked if she could tomorrow, which she agreed to. I told her to wait though before we make it official because I wanted to talk to you first. So...are you okay with this? We’ll both be able to work thanks to Haru and won’t have to worry since she’s more than capable.”

“No.”

“Eh…?” Yusuke blinked in bemusement. “What? Why not?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I trust Haru with all my heart, but Emiri needs a stable home. We can’t just shuffle her around through our friends because she inconveniences our work. It won’t help her mental health at all and we agreed to look after her. We’ve only been with her for a couple of days and we’re already searching for babysitters…?” Crossing his arms, Akira smiled slightly. “I’ll take the day off. You can work.”

“But...isn’t it too sudden? You couldn’t even get this week off with advanced notice, I doubt you’ll be able to now.” Guilt defined Yusuke’s features as he rubbed the side of his nape. “N-Nevermind, I’ll tell the university I can’t do it. You’re right about Emiri, and I don’t want you to get into trouble because of me…”

“No, I insist.” Stepping forward, Akira caressed Yusuke’s arm. “Your work is important too, and unlike my job, the university actually needs you.”

“Are you sure? Won’t this upset your boss?”

Akira just shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t really care about that anymore, and he knows I’m looking after a child. Sometimes, emergencies arise and if he can’t understand that, then it isn’t my problem.”

“This...isn’t really an emergency though.”

Chuckling, Akira touched the tip of his chin. “We don’t always have to be truthful.”

His confidence made Yusuke smile. 

“Just to reconfirm, you’re seriously okay with this?”

“Yes! I’ll call my boss when I get the chance and tell him I can’t come in tomorrow.”

“Alright, I’ll let the university know I can do it then.” Exhaling, Yusuke rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Although...they should really hire a second teacher. Relying purely on Hiraoka must’ve stressed her out…”

“You do realise you’re the second teacher, right?” 

“Huh?” Yusuke elevated his gaze to meet Akira’s, and he expressed his confusion, “I’m only a substitute teacher, nor am I truly qualified.”

“You’ve worked there for five years now, and not once have you questioned why your contract hasn’t ended?” Standing on his toes, Akira leaned forward and flicked his partner gently on the forehead. “You’re so silly. Guest teachers don’t last as long as you have, since you’re meant to be a guest. You’re basically a full-time teacher now. They must’ve liked your work so much they didn’t want to get rid of you.” He huffed, amused by Yusuke’s oblivion.

“Eh?” He responded by touching his forehead. “But I only have a temporary teacher’s permit. Wouldn’t it be illegal if they treated me like a qualified teacher?”

“Yes, and now I have to arrest you for breaking the law.” With a smirk, Akira wrapped his arms around Yusuke’s waist and leaned onto his chest. “You’re in prison now.”

“If this is what prison is like, then I’ll gladly go there.”  
Yusuke chuckled and returned the gesture by placing a hand in Akira’s hair, gently caressing it.

“To be serious for a moment, I’m not exactly sure if you can get into trouble, but I assure you I’ve never received a call to arrest a teacher because they weren’t qualified.”

“I suppose I should talk to my manager about it to be safe.” 

Snuggling into the crook of Yusuke’s neck, Akira enjoyed their embrace. “Yeah, that’d be a good idea.” His voice muffled.

Despite his desire to prolong this moment, a grave concern flourished in Yusuke’s mind. “Uh, while I’d love to hold you longer, won’t the stew burn if we leave it unattended?”

“Oh, shit.”

Quickly, Akira gave Yusuke’s cheek a kiss and rushed out of the room, determined not to let his dinner burn or spoil. Yusuke just huffed and grabbed his phone out, ready to call the university and Haru.

~~~~~~~~~

Dinner was ready without a single overcooked vegetable or chewy piece of beef. Akira managed to save it from inevitable doom thanks to Yusuke’s reminder. While dishing it up into various bowls, he noticed Morgana’s lacking presence. The feline would usually come into the kitchen due to the aromas filling the air, eager and begging to have a taste. 

“Yusuke, where’s Morgana?” He asked, glancing at his partner. 

“Uh, he was outside when I spoke to him.”  
Yusuke was placing chopsticks and napkins on the table, ensuring each and every were symmetrical.

“Well, he’s usually in here by now. Could you go and tell him dinner is ready? I made him some fatty tuna.”

“W-Why would you use that for tonight? It’s expensive, and if…-” Realising he sounded entitled, Yusuke allowed silence to still his words. 

“He hasn’t been himself lately, so I wanted to do something that’d cheer him up.”

“Alright, but could I ask Emiri to find him? I’m not finished here yet.” 

“If she’s okay with it, sure.”

Yusuke approached the kitchen’s exit and looked for Emiri. She was distracted by the TV, so he called out to her and asked if she could find Morgana, who he suspected to be outside. She agreed with a grin and wandered towards the backyard, wishing to fulfil her task.

Yusuke then resumed his own duties, placing down the cutlery and extra bowls. 

“Oh, did you call your boss yet? Because I told the university I can do it.” He decided to create conversation, wishing to fill the silence. 

“Yeah, I did, but he didn’t answer. I just left a voice message.”

“I see. Hopefully, you won’t get into trouble…”

“I won’t. One day doesn’t invalidate all the years I’ve never called in sick.” 

“So...you really don’t mind?”

“Of course I don’t.” Akira huffed, somewhat entertained by his partner’s repeated concern. “Honestly, I want to spend some time with Emiri anyway. It’s not fair that you get all the fun while I do her chores or only cook for her.”

“Fun?” Confused, Yusuke’s brow furrowed. “Besides going out for lunch, we haven’t really done anything fun.”

“She seems to think differently.” Carrying a large bowl of stew, Akira approached the table and set it down in the centre. “She was telling me all the things you’ve done while we were cutting the veggies and made it sound like fun.”

“I mean, I am enjoying my time with her, but we’re not doing traditionally ‘fun’ activities.”

“I think she just likes you.” Akira elevated his hand onto Yusuke’s cheek and stroked it, a smirk on his lips. “I can’t blame her, I like you too.”

“Y-You think so? I honestly thought she liked you more.”

“No way. She likes you just as much, if not more.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that.” The thought made Yusuke smile, only for him to recall something. “Actually, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Yes?”

“The tutor, she doesn’t know about our relationship… Is there a reason why? Because she forgot about my existence, which led to an awkward exchange. She ended up texting you instead, so I didn’t know when she was coming and planned to go shopping, but luckily she arrived in time to stop me.” 

“No, there isn't. I haven’t really talked to her since Ann organised her schedule with my input. She probably didn’t want to tell her on our behalf.” Akira went over to the counter and grabbed a bowl of rice, he then returned to the table. “I figured she’d message you instead if I didn’t reply, but I guess she got confused.”

“Yeah, I talked to her about it so I assume it’s sorted now, it’s just…” Somewhat nervous, Yusuke pressed his index fingers together as he glanced at his partner. “Are you okay with her knowing our status...? Because I honestly don’t want to pretend in my own home…”

Akira shook his head. “I don’t care if she knows, so feel free to tell her if you’d like.”

“I-I’m glad to hear that, however, that’d be rather awkward to bring up. I’ll just leave it alone, but won’t hide it either.”

“Well, there’s plenty of gay photos of us around the house, I’m sure she’ll get the hint at some point.” Placing the bowl of rice down, Akira grinned. “I won’t ever ask you to pretend in the comfort of our own home.”

“Mm, I thought it’d be out of character for you, but I wanted to be certain.”

“Actually, since we have some privacy, there’s something I need to ask you.” 

“Yes? What is it?”

“I think-”

“I found him!” Emiri announced as she rushed into the kitchen, cradling Morgana in a tight grip. “He was sleeping on the chair outside. He looked so relaxed!”

“Oh, thank you, Emiri.” Akira acknowledged her with a smile, then returned to the counter to grab the miso soup. “Dinner is ready, so feel free to sit down.”

“Okay!” She let Morgana go gently, went up to the table and climbed into a seat. “It smells so good!”

“Ugh… For a small girl, she sure does have a grip of death.” Morgana groaned under his breath. He approached his bowl on the floor and sat down, waiting for his dinner. “What did you make me since I can’t have stew?”

Yusuke was curious as to what his partner wished to discuss, but it would have to wait for now. He pulled out a chair and sat next to Emiri, helping her spoon her portions into smaller bowls. Akira placed Morgana’s food down, who squealed in delight at the sight. He couldn’t speak to the feline without seeming weird, so while he was happy to hear Morgana’s enjoyment, he had to express it with a simple grin. He then joined the other two at the table, hungry and determined to eat.

They rejoiced in the flavours of the food and enjoyed each other's company, consumed by the joyful atmosphere. 

“Oh, I’ll be your guardian tomorrow.” Akira brought up an important subject but ensured to make it sound cheerful, “Yusuke has work, so you and I get to hang out.”

“Hm?” Chewing on a mouthful of beef, Emiri swallowed it. “I thought Uncle Yuu was looking after me this whole week.”

“He was meant to, but the university needs him. If you want, we can go visit Futaba and Sojiro. We could even go to a nearby park with them.”

“Okay, that sounds like fun!” As she cut a piece of potato with her chopsticks, Emiri’s eyes lit up. “Ah, if you’re going to swap, then maybe Uncle Yuu should teach you how to braid my hair. It gets really knotty if you don’t do it before bed.”

Yusuke waved his hand to assure her concerns. “I’ll be home for dinner, so that won’t be necessary.”

“It might not be necessary, but I want to learn.” Akira perked up, a sparkle in his eyes. “I used to tie Futaba’s hair, so it shouldn’t take me long to understand.”

“I mean, I suppose I could after dinner. Personally, I’m not good at it myself, so don’t expect me to be a good guide.”

“Then it’s decided.”

Emiri huffed out of amusement. 

The sound of chopsticks hitting bowls and laughter filled the kitchen as they continued to enjoy their meal together, reminiscing about how their day went.

~~~~~~~~~

After dinner, both Emiri and Yusuke helped Akira wash the dishes or store leftovers in the fridge. Once their chores were finished, Emiri dragged Akira into the living room and demanded him to sit. He heeded her request, slightly confused, until she explained she planned to sleep soon, so she wanted him to braid her hair instead tonight.

He allowed her to crawl and sit onto his lap while Yusuke sat beside them, offering as many instructions as he could. 

Unable to resist, Emiri giggled. “T-That’s ticklish.”

The sensation of Akira’s fingers running through and guiding her hair made her squirm. It was simply too ticklish for her to sit through, and occasionally, she’d chuckle or laugh. 

“Sorry, I don’t mean for it to be.”

“No, it’s fine!” 

A smile curled Akira’s lips as he was happy to hear her enjoyment, despite his confusion on how to braid hair. 

“Is this right?” He asked, glancing at his partner.

“I think so.”

“T-That’s not really helpful…”

“I apologise, but just like I said during dinner, I am no expert.” 

Yusuke tried to figure out a way to articulate his instructions, however, he struggled to comprehend it himself, so how could he word it in a way Akira understood? He considered searching it online like Futaba did, but he wanted to see if Akira truly could do it on his own first.

He simply watched them, their voices growing faint. Wonder began to take over his mind, made him question if he wanted something like this permanently. Moments like these, where nothing but happiness filled their home sounded nice, was a joy to be apart of, however, it wasn’t the only reality to consider. He knows the days of hardship, of misunderstanding and hurt, awaits them, just like it did in everyone’s life. 

He didn’t know if he should bring up the subject of having children with Akira now or after Emiri’s stay. Everyone encouraged him to speak about it as soon as possible, but if he didn’t even understand how he felt on the matter, how could they have a meaningful discussion? He needed more time to consider it, to experience the possibility more with Emiri, both the good and bad, without being pressured to hurry up. 

“I did it! I think…”  
Akira’s cheerful voice snapped him out of his trance, causing him to blink.

“O-Oh, did you? Let me have a look.” Focusing on the reality before him, Yusuke examined Emiri’s hair. “Wow, I think you did better than me.” 

“You think so?”

Emiri elevated a hand into her hair, touching the braid. “You both did a good job!” She turned her face to see them. “My hair didn’t come undone when you tied it, Uncle Yuu, and I’m sure it won’t with Uncle Aki either!”

Her positivity caused Yusuke’s lips to curl.

“Thank you, Emiri. I’m glad you’re satisfied with our efforts.”

She smiled back, only to slide off Akira’s lap.

“Well, I’m going to head to bed now.” A yawn escaped her, but it seemed forced, as if she was exaggerating her fatigue. “Just as promised, I’ll try to sleep in my room before coming to yours.”

“Okay, I hope you’re able to have a wholesome rest.” Yusuke stood up and patted her on the head gently. “Goodnight and sleep well.”

“Yeah, goodnight, Emiri.” Akira also stood up, grinning. “If you need us, you know where we are.”

“Mm!” Emiri gave a cheerful nod before she waved, said, “Goodnight.” and ran up the stairs, towards her bedroom.

“She didn’t ask us to tuck her in…” Curious as to why, Yusuke cupped his chin. “Perhaps walking around all day exhausted her.”

“It’s not that.” Akira shook his head and huffed at his partner’s oblivion. “She’s going to ‘bed’ early because an hour from now is when she usually sleeps. I don’t think she plans to actually try to stay in her room, but rather wants to fool us into thinking she is.”

“But...she promised she’d try to sleep in there for an hour first, not simply wait in her room.”

“She might be trying, however, your deal didn’t state what time she had to, right?” Akira couldn’t help but chuckle. “You got outplayed by a nine-year-old.”

“T-That’s not fair! I didn’t realise I had to word it so precisely…”

“At the end of the day, it’s not that important.” Reaching for the remote, Akira turned off the TV. “You only made that deal with her so we’d have an hour of privacy, right?”

“No. I want her to sleep in her own room because she’s...too old to be sleeping with adults, and because I didn’t want her to fall back into the habit. Ann and Ryuji have succeeded at getting her to sleep on her own for three years now, if we allow her to rest with us, she might regress.”

“Well, maybe I’m reading too much into her behaviour…”

“I don’t think so. I believe your observation is correct.” Yusuke raised a hand onto his forehead, massaging it. “I’ll simply have to discuss it with her if she’s pretending…”

“D-Don’t you think that’s too much? We shouldn’t just accuse her, and while that may be her intention now, she might genuinely try once she becomes more comfortable.”

“So...you want to do nothing?”

“I want to give her a chance. She might have...outmaneuvered you, but that doesn’t mean your deal will amount to nothing.”

“Okay, we’ll do that then.” Satisfied with their conclusion, another subject nagged Yusuke. He decided to approach it since they now had privacy. “Now, didn’t you want to ask me something before? What was it?”

Akira paused, his expression ambivalent. He then grabbed Yusuke’s hand and guided him up the stairs, towards their bedroom. Once inside, he closed the door, let go of his lover’s hand and approached his work bag. He began to rummage through it, much to Yusuke’s confusion.

Akira barely used his bag, and if he did, it was for another pair of clothes or paperwork, nothing that would involve or concern Yusuke. 

“Here,” Akira pulled out a magazine and returned to his partner’s side. He displayed the cover by holding it from the top, revealing what caught his attention.

Yusuke’s face was on the cover, his attire prim and proper. 

“I saw it in a coffee shop while I was on my break and asked the staff if I could take it home, so no, I didn’t steal it.”

“...I didn’t think you would.”

“I just wanted to let you know how they’re advertising your exhibition. I know you would be against this, so I couldn’t keep quiet about it. Like, jeez, look at some of this stuff…” Akira turned the magazine over to read the slogan, “‘Handsome artist comes back with a vengeance!’, not only are they using your appearance, they barely mention your art on the page that’s meant to sway people to buy tickets. It’s all vain bullshit.”

“...”

“I know how passionate you are to be judged solely by your artwork, so I thought you’d like to know how the gallery director is treating you. It’s probably too late to do anything about it, but…-” Akira’s words trailed off as he noticed Yusuke’s ongoing silence. “What’s wrong…? You’re awfully quiet for something like this…”

Yusuke averted his gaze and gripped one of his arms. “...That’s because- While I appreciate your concern, I...agreed to be advertised in such a way.” 

“W-What…?” Akira blinked rapidly, utterly bemused. “But…” He stammered, confusion defining his voice. “...You were disgusted when Kawanabe suggested advertising you as such, why are you okay with them doing it all of a sudden…?”

“I still don’t like it, nor do I approve of treating artists like this, but...I spoke with my manager and they believe this will help the exhibition succeed. I really need it to, so due to my desperation, I decided to swallow my pride a little bit and allowed it.”

“A little bit?! This barely mentions your art, it’s nothing but superficial advertising!” Akira tightened his grip around the magazine, causing it to crinkle. “I thought you hated being compared to Madarame!”

“I do, however, it’s vague enough not to directly mean that.”

“Aw, come on, Yusuke! Anyone who knows you or your story will assume it’s about him!”

“W-Why does this bother you so much…? I’ve explained my reasoning, yet you’re still not satisfied.”

“Because this is nothing like you! You were more desperate when Kawanabe suggested it! You needed money to live and inspiration to maintain your scholarship, yet you need neither fame or money anymore! You didn’t cave when your situation was much worse, so why now…?” 

“I’ve simply matured since then…” Yusuke’s gaze faltered to the floor, desperate to avoid his partner’s. “Sometimes you merely have to swallow your pride to wedge your foot through a door and gain a chance of success. The Metaverse made me feel untouchable, which is why I was able to be blinded by passion back then. Now that it’s gone, we have to live our lives like everyone else. We must juggle and weigh our values, our beliefs and our desire to succeed. You’ve even caved under the pressure…” He sighed, forcing himself to maintain eye contact. “You’ve tossed aside or suppressed some of your values to succeed, so I don’t think it’s fair for you to judge me so harshly. Don’t you pretend you’re straight at work so you don’t have to deal with more discrimination? In a perfect world, you wouldn’t have to, just like I wouldn’t have to cast my artwork in a light of vanity.” 

“...” Akira’s eyes lowered to the floor as his expression grew doleful. “...I apologise, I didn’t mean to come across like that. I was only concerned, and when my fears were confirmed, I suppose I lashed out in confusion…”

“It’s okay, I understand. I should’ve told you ages ago, however...I suppose I feared your reaction, since I know you’re right. I was far more desperate back then, but...I think I’ve simply grown tired of losing opportunities because of my stubborn beliefs. While I don't need fame nor money anymore, I still want my artwork to reach people, including those overseas...” Stepping closer, Yusuke wrapped his arms around his lover and pulled him into an embrace, burying his face into Akira’s shoulder. “Even though I caved this time, those values will always remain in my heart.”

Akira responded by squeezing Yusuke in return and sliding a hand into his hair. He slowly stroked and caressed blue strands, breathing in his partner’s scent. “...I’m sorry, you should’ve been able to trust me with this, regardless of my personal feelings.” 

“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. Sometimes I’m just paranoid. Like everyone, really.”

Akira huffed and curled his fingers into the fabric of Yusuke’s shirt. “By the way, I don’t pretend I’m straight, I just don’t talk about my love life, despite wanting to…” He pouted.

Yusuke just chuckled and slid his foot back. He then kissed Akira on the forehead, caressing his hair out of the way.

“Sorry, that was just the first thing that popped into my mind.”

“It’s okay.” Looking up at his partner, Akira smirked and his eyes narrowed, turned flirtatious. “Since we have an hour of free time, do you want to continue ‘making up’ for the last two nights?”

“Gladly.” 

Yusuke leaned down and allowed his lips to connect with Akira’s. They shifted into a more relaxed position, with Akira wrapping his arms around Yusuke’s neck, and Yusuke supporting his partner’s back. Their hands run along each other’s bodies, caressing and exploring every inch. Hot breath brushed their lips as they part for air, only for them to resume kissing, eager for and yearning the other’s touch.

Fabric slipped off their bodies, revealing the skin underneath. Their fingers pull, curl into and guide off each other’s clothing as they staggered towards the bed. It squeaked under their weight. Faint moans of delight escaped them as their tongues rubbed together, mixing their saliva, and their bodies intertwined. Heat coursed through them, danced along and flustered their skin. 

A devilish idea flourished in Yusuke’s mind as his hand slid up Akira’s hip. He continued to trail his hand upwards, pretending to fondle Akira’s chest. Once Akira relaxed under his touch, Yusuke brushed his hand aside, only to reach up into Akira’s armpit and tickle him. The sudden act caused Akira to jerk away and try to squirm free as laughter poured from his lips.

“W-What are you-!” He managed, choking on the lack of air in his lungs.

An impish smirk curled Yusuke’s lips as he enjoyed hearing his partner’s voice in such a joyful manner. A part of him was pleased he could make Akira squirm with his mere touch, that all he had to do was caress his body in a certain way and his composure would melt. 

“Yu-Yusuke!” 

Akira tried to suppress his voice by covering his mouth, but stifled chuckles and giggles still broke free.

Suddenly, Yusuke stopped.

“H-Hm…?” Akira expressed his confusion with a sound. He focused on catching his breath, just in case it resumed.

“That...sounded rather erotic.”

“W-What did?”

“You calling out my name. It was quite loud too.”

Akira gently pushed on Yusuke’s shoulder and huffed, “You’re a pervert.”

“I don’t intend to be. Although, I do hope Emiri didn’t hear you.”

An immediate blush engulfed Akira’s cheeks, made his face as red as a tomato. “T-This is all your fault!” He groaned and sat up, forcing Yusuke to shuffled to the side. “If she heard me, you have to explain it to her!”

“I doubt she did, I’m simply rousing you.”

“Hmph!” Akira pouted and turned his face away.

“Aw, come on.” Leaning in close, Yusuke brushed his cheek against Akira’s. “I’m only playing around.”

Amusement left Akira’s lips in the form of air and he grabbed Yusuke’s collar, pulling him into another kiss. His fingers curl into, knot Yusuke’s hair as their bodies intertwined once more. Passion engulfed them, muddled their minds and soft moans escaped them. 

As Yusuke ran his hand along Akira’s back, leaving a trail of goosebumps, an urgent recollection interrupted his flow. His lips part from Akira’s, who thought he merely needed air and tried to resume the kiss.

“W-Wait…”

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Concern defined Akira’s voice and features. He brushed a strand of Yusuke’s hair with the back of his fingers, expressing his worry even more. 

“Nothing’s wrong, it’s just…” Yusuke sighed out of disappointment. “I remembered I have to study for tomorrow's curriculum because I have no idea what they’re teaching this week. My boss sent me an email with the details, but I completely forgot about it until now…”

“Oh, I see…”

“I’m sorry. I should’ve done it earlier.”

Akira shook his head. “You don’t have to apologise. I’m satisfied by simply being by your side.” A smile then curled his lips. “You can research it on your laptop and I’ll lie next to you.”

With a grin, Yusuke inched closer and kissed Akira on the forehead. “Thank you for being so understanding.”

Akira expressed his pleasure by humming, “You don’t have to thank me for that either.”

“I know, I just like to.” 

As he moved to slide off the bed, Yusuke patted Akira on the leg. He then stood up, donned on his pyjamas, and searched for his laptop. While he did so, Akira changed into his own sleepwear, a simple v-neck and shorts. After he rummaged through the closet, Yusuke managed to find his laptop and returned to the bed, pushing the pillows up against the frame.

They both settled down in bed next to each other. Akira snuggled up against his partner and wrapped his arms around him, while Yusuke focused on searching through his emails and stroked Akira’s hair with his other hand. 

“I might fall asleep before Emiri comes in here...” Akira murmured as he pressed his forehead against Yusuke. “If you’re awake, could you let her in? She can sleep on my side tonight.”

“Of course, however, I did tell her she can come in if we don’t respond, so if I’m not awake, we can still fulfil our promise.”

“Don’t you think that’s...not a good idea…?”

“Well, she has respected the time limit so far. I don’t see us running into any awkward exchanges if we both stick to the deal.”

“Hopefully, we won’t…” Sighing softly, Akira allowed his eyes to close. “I’m going to try and sleep… Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, my love.”

To express his gratitude, Yusuke ran his thumb along Akira’s ear, gently caressing it. His lover smiled and simply squeezed him in return. They relaxed together, basking in each other’s company until Yusuke recalled the urgency of his work. He opened up his emails to be greeted by a copious amount of tasks, detailing what subject each class focused on.

A long night awaited him, and while he’d use this time to try and rest before Emiri took up a large portion of their bed, he couldn’t dismiss his responsibility. Staring at the dimly lit screen, he began to research the curriculum, absorbing as much information as he could before his fatigue overtook his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter updates and status @ https://elnierah.tumblr.com/ ( [Status of Chapters](https://elnierah.tumblr.com/CWO) )

**Author's Note:**

> I have a blog, mainly used for announcements, polls and updates, so if you're interested ( https://elnierah.tumblr.com/ ) here it is.
> 
> You can also check the progress of the chapters and my work schedule, here ( [Status of Chapters](https://elnierah.tumblr.com/CWO) )


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